Bear Lake Memorial Healthcare Evening

 

American Patriotism by C.T. Buttars

 

Ghana Service Project

 

Sculpin By Bryce Nielsen

The elevation of Bear Lake is coming up covering the rocks along the shore with water. The beach areas for the tourists will be smaller but this will provide much needed spawning habitat for one of the endemic species.

The Bear Lake sculpin (Cottus extensis) during most of the year are scattered throughout the lake on the bottom feeding on midge larvae, nematodes, stray eggs or anything else they can consume.  In early April, they begin to migrate towards shore.  They are poor swimmers and only move in short bursts.  They are the most highly evolved fish in the lake and most of their cousins are marine (ocean) species like rock bass.  They do not have scales but have a large well-developed head and pectoral (front) fins.  They are characterized by opercle (cheek) spines and brilliant blue eyes, the same color as Bear Lake.  The adults average three to four inches but rarely exceed six inches.

They also have another unique characteristic.  They are the chameleons of the lake.  Depending on what color the lake bottom is from white to dark, they will change color to blend in with it.  If it is all one color, they will mimic it. If there are gravels, they will be splotchy.  This adaptive characteristic allows them to hide in depressions created by suckers feeding on the substrate.

 During spawning, they migrate towards shore to find rocks to attach their egg masses to.  The males stake out their territory under flat rocks and entice the females with the best spawning habitat.  Typically, the larger the male, the bigger the rock.  As the two fish invert, the female deposits a sticky patch of about 400 eggs on the bottom of the rock and the male fertilizes them.  The female then swims off leaving the male to protect the egg mass until they hatch.  He fans the eggs with his pectoral fins to keep the silt off and oxygenate them while protecting them from crayfish and other egg predators.  Our observations would indicate that the hatching of the eggs is keyed to agitation. The spawning areas (rock covered bottoms) are limited to the east and western shores. When the spring storms arrive, the crashing waves trigger hatch.  The larval fish are dispersed in the epilimnion (upper water column) and are spread throughout the lake.  After they absorb their yolk sack and need to feed, they drop to the bottom and being their existence.  This evolutionary trait scatters out the newly hatched fish over a wide area and not just in the nursery area where competition for resources would be limited.   The young sculpin frequently take refuge inside the billions of extinct snail shells scattered across the bottom to avoid predation. The adult sculpin then go back to their solitary ways in the depths and spend their time trying to avoid the other hungry fish that want to eat them.

 

 

Heirloom Recipes: Orange Cake by Celia Langford

 

National Drug Take Back Day - April 26th

 

Rich School District

 April 25-Golf @ Bear Lake Golf Course

          26-Track @ Morgan

           26- Golf @ Evanston

Laketown Planning & Zoning

 April 30

Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Notice

Wednesday, Apr 30, 8:00 PM•

435 946-9000 10 North 200 East Laketown Utah and 1 more

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The Laketown Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on April 30, 2025, at 8:00 PM to discuss amending the land use code regarding building permit deadlines and trailer storage.

Note

• Notify the Laketown Town Office of any special accommodations needs. ((435) 946-9000)
• Attend the Laketown Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing.

Bear lake State Park

 Water Temp: 45.5 degrees F

Water Level:  5918.85'

By John Lee

 

Help Shape Garden City’s Future Synopsis of meeting

 

Help Shape Garden City’s Future Synopsis of meeting

Over the years Garden City, Rich County and Bear Lake County have worked on several master plans. Sometimes the plans were followed, sometimes not. It was still important to have a plan.

In 2023 & 2024 a group of students from the Business School at BYU-I had developed some plans for Garden City under the direction of John Ward. They surveyed people in Garden City. Their efforts paved the way for another group of students from USU in the Landscape Architect program were studying possible projects to enhance developmental changes to Garden City. Garden City is now considered to be a “Gateway City.”

In the fall of 2024 the USU Students surveyed residents and anyone interested on their opinion as to what changes they would like to see in Garden City.

The students were assigned areas to investigate and give best case scenarios. Their work was very well presented.

One of the most important questions from the audience was, “how do we get the changes to happen when most of the property is privately owned?”

The response was, “communication and planning.” Garden City has been planning for 40 years and is still trying to work towards a common goal.

There will be a CD about the project for your review - Call Mark Smoot Chamber Pres.

As your editor, I am hoping that we can communicate our hopes and plans with property owners for the future of Garden City. Many thanks to the students and their professors for their work.