|
Fitzhugh Carter Tract
Special-Opportunity Fishing Program grand opening
May 9, 2007
Contact: Kelly Gamble (FWC), (850) 773-2631
Bill Cleckley (Water Management District), (850) 539-5999
The public is invited to the grand opening of
the Special-Opportunity Fishing Program on the Fitzhugh Carter
Tract of Econfina Creek Wildlife Management Area in south
Washington County May 17.
The grand opening will be from 5-7 p.m. The
Northwest Florida Water Management District, owner of the
2,155-acre tract, will host a discussion of the program and
conduct tours of the area.
Beginning May 18, three of the area’s lakes will
be open to limited fishing. Managers will open Dry Pond, Black
Pond and Deep Edge Pond Friday through Monday each week. Due to
the prolonged drought, other water bodies on the property will
not be open to fishing until water levels return to normal. The
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is
working with the water management district to provide limited
fishing and hunting on the area.
For the first several weeks, it’ll be bank
fishing only, according to Kelly Gamble, FWC wildlife biologist.
She said eight 14-foot aluminum boats are on order and should be
available by June 1.
Gamble said a limit of 16 anglers will be
allowed to fish the area each day. They can fish from the bank
or use the eight boats provided. Anglers can reserve five of the
boats by calling (850) 773-2631; three boats are available on a
first-come, first-served basis. No personal boats are allowed
due to concerns about potential introduction of nonnative
aquatic plants.
The water management district purchased the
Fitzhugh Carter Tract in 2003 as a mitigation site. The district
is protecting wetland habitats and restoring the upland portions
of the property to longleaf pine and wiregrass habitat. To
prepare the area for public use and management, the district has
made substantial improvements on the area’s roads and water
crossings by layering them with crushed rock and installing
three bridges and two bridge culverts. |
