Cisco Sonar

Jim’s Pond

By Bryce Nielson, Cisco Kid
(Bryce noted that he really enjoyed sharing this column)

It started in the early 1970’s.  Sweetwater was subdividing Long Ridge and they needed a sewer
treatment facility.  They filled in a wetland and built three evaporation ponds.  The Bear Lake Sewer Special Service District put in a new sewer system shortly after and hooked on Sweetwater.  I don’t ever remember seeing any effluent in the ponds.  They languished for the next 40 years.  Property ownership changed, fences fell down, and the cows came in.  Occasionally, they would get a little water in them and some vegetation and the ducks and geese would stop by.

Jim Stone had a vision.  He had had extensive experience as a young man working with wetland restoration at the Million Dollar Duck Club near the Bear River Bay.  He had innate knowledge of what needed to be done to control water levels, produce waterfowl food and provide habitat for all wetland birds.  This was learned through experience as a guide/worker at the duck club, not formal education.

Most of us know Jim from the Pickleville Store.  He is an author, photographer, poet, professional fly tyer, inventor, fishermen, waterfowl hunter, lover of dogs and a genuinely caring and honest person.  He lives in upstairs of the store and runs it 14 hrs/day, 7 days/wk.  He is great with the customers and is overly generous (my point of view).  As soon as the store closes in the fall, it is all about the out of doors.  He loves to live off the land and collects nature’s bounties.  He recently started on Facebook and now entertains us all with stories and photos.  He is the “Pickleville Philosopher” in RCTimes and does it all from his small cellphone.

He loves young people and we would frequently talk about having a place for young hunters to learn the sport and get to shoot at some birds.  He decided to try it on the SW pond.  It had been dry for years so last year he received permission from the landowner and started pumping irrigation water from the adjacent wetlands over the dike into the pond.  With the help from friends and more than a $1000, he got water on the bottom of the pond and built a deluxe blind.  Birds started to use it but there was no feed because the cattle loved to go in and eat everything and tear down the blind.

This year he got serious.  Spending $1000’s of his own money and the help of friends, the fence was repaired and the pond was seeded with waterfowl food.  The constant pumping started again, a beautiful wetland emerged, and the waterfowl came in droves.  Jim’s Pond was ready for youth hunters and they showed up with their parents on a reservation basis.  Shooting would only occur once a week and the rest of the time hundreds of ducks and shorebirds fed there unmolested.  A lifetime experience occurred for many people at and away from the pond.  I think the happiest person was Jim.

What people may not understand the Jim’s Pond is not just for hunting.  As it develops and matures it will be habitat for countless birds of all species, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals.  Jim has similar visions for the other two ponds.  The problem is that Jim has no written agreement, lease or ownership in the property.  This has all been done at the risk of being asked to leave at any time.  We will work it owners to see what can be worked out.   After seeing the smiling faces of youth hunters and their parents maybe an agreement to have a long term solution will be agreed upon.