Hamar Creek is next in line on the list of locations to improve fishing opportunities in Chassell Township. Sand and silt have disrupted brook trout spawning activities. (Photo Courtesy of Keith Meyers)

CHASSELL TOWNSHIP — Chassell has continued improving its fishing resources in the township’s five-year recreation plan with the early stages of restoring brook trout habitat at Hamar Creek. Sediment build up has been accumulating over the years but was accelerated during the Father’s Day flood in 2018. Silt and sand are covering cobble the fish relies on for spawning, and Chassell is seeking to remove the sediment.

Better fishing opportunities were listed as one of the top priorities in Chassell Township’s recreation survey. The township has already accomplished better fishing accessibility with the repair of the fishing pier in Centennial Park and now the township is looking to add more diversity to the fish species available.

Chassell has reached out to EGLE in order to receive a dredging permit, but EGLE stated that it would need a fisheries biologist from the DNR to deem the project worthy of the permit. Kris Nault came from the DNR on Jan. 9 to discuss the project with Chassell Planning Commission Chair Brian Waters and Vice-Chair Keith Meyers. The men walked around the area and Nault gave advice for the Planning Commissioners.

“[We] did a walk around and [Nault] brought up a lot of really important concepts to us,” Meyers said. “Starting with needing to inventory that pathway that we’re looking at. One of the concerns he brought up is that if we do a cleanup or dredging of the stream where we vacuum up the silt and sand that’s built up in there, we have to make sure that we’ve got the erosion problems under control before that creates more problems.”

The Commission will wait until spring for the snow and ice to thaw to inventory all erosion areas in the stream and conduct plantings to prevent erosion. The commission will also need to mark where all sediment build ups are in Hamar Creek and then determine how much silt needs to be removed.

There is also a portion of the stream that has become meandered, which Nault has indicated that it can possibly be recovered as a stream channel. The hope is that once the sediment is removed and better water flow is directed into Pike Bay that cobble can be reintroduced to the area to better the environment for the brook trout.

Meyers said that many residents of Chassell have told him stories of being able to catch brook trout regularly years ago from the creek and other rivers and streams nearby, and he also shares these memories.

“Even as a kid I used to fish with my dad up on the creek system on Tapiola road,” Meyers said. “And you’d have no problem limiting out on brook trout on those streams.”

Meyers said that he hopes if the project will go through that the younger population in the area will be able to fish for the trout with as much success as he had as a child. He is hopeful that removal of sediment could begin this autumn.