Makeover for Jenny Newman

There is a little pond at Platte River State Park.  It is open for catch & release fishing for kids and adults fishing with their kids.  As my kids were growing up, we took advantage of that fishing opportunity as much as possible; there were, and still are, some big Bluegills and Channel Catfish and lots of Largemouth Bass swimming in the Jenny Newman pond (Growing Up Jenny Newman).

This fall it is time for the ole pond to get a makeover!  The outlet structure on Jenny Newman needed replacement and that provided the ideal opportunity to make a few other improvements.  We have invested some Aquatic Habitat/Angler Access Improvement funds into the project.  Again I must say “thank you for your support!”, we could not do this without our angler, Aquatic Habitat Stamp funding!

Let me show you a few pictures taken recently to give you an idea of the work being done:

As you can see the water level was dropped so the outlet structure could be replaced.  No worries, there is still plenty of water in the pond to keep the fish alive, and yes, I saw a number of them swimming the shorelines on a warm, fall afternoon.  If I had a kid with me, we would have been fishing!

Work on the new outlet structure looked to be complete or near complete.

You can see the framework for a new fishing deck on the north shoreline.

And a concrete platform near the existing dock.

The water supply for Jenny Newman has come from a well up the hill above the pond.  In the past that water flowed down through a pipe, but that has been modified so it will now run through a series of man-made drops and pools.

Those new pools will be attractive to park visitors and may be places where the kids can puddle around and discover a frog or crayfish.

It never was difficult to access Jenny Newman and catch some fish, but these improvements will make it even more accessible and enjoyable.  I hope it continues to provide great fish to catch & release for many more generations of kids, and their parents!