County to help out new pond for fishing

Flathead County will financially support a proposed children’s fishing pond in Evergreen by chipping in $8,500 worth of labor and equipment use to help build a parking lot and trail to the Whitefish River.

The county contribution will be split between the Road Department and Weed and Parks Department, the commissioners decided Monday.

Robin Street plans to create a fishing pond as he reclaims his gravel pit between Whitefish Stage Road and U.S. 2 near Rose Crossing. Gravel currently is being hauled from the Street pit for the Kalispell bypass.

Public Works Director Dave Prunty said the county would provide the manpower and equipment this summer to build a parking area for about a dozen cars at the north end of Scenic Drive and a short section of trail.

The gravel would come from the Street property. As part of the deal, the county will get 500 cubic yards of topsoil to use for reclamation.

Parks Director Jed Fisher said the county Park Board is “very supportive” of the project.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks Regional Fisheries Manager Jim Vashro told the commissioners he wanted to “voice full support” for the project and talked about how successful the agency’s Hooked on Fishing program has been by using facilities such as Shady Lane Pond, another reclaimed gravel-pit site.

Ownership of the pond would be transferred to the state once the project is completed.

Street’s son, Steve Street, said the pond would be about five acres.

“It’s near the river and he thought it would be a nice spot for a pond,” Steve Street said.

Fifteen acres of the Streets’ 160 acres has been approved for extractive industry operations. About seven acres is being used for gravel extraction, and the Streets are seeking a permit to add another two acres to the pit.

There are several state-managed fishing ponds in Flathead County, including Dry Bridge Park, Shady Lane and Buffalohead ponds.