The Nisbet Trout Pond is popular with anglers, families and for educational purposes(Submitted/Northern Waters Flyfishers)

By Glenn Hicks

fishing spot

Nisbet Trout Pond near P.A. to be decommissioned

Jun 27, 2021 | 3:00 PM

The days are numbered for the Nisbet Trout Pond located in a forest setting off Highway 3 to the northwest of the city of Prince Albert. The province says work is underway to find a new location closer to the city, ideally before decommissioning happens. However, some users aren’t happy about the lack of info.

The pond is popular with anglers, families and a local school environment program that helps keep the pond stocked with trout.

The province says the man-made earthen dam that holds creek water in the pond is eroding and failing and is reaching the end of its lifespan. It was built many years ago.

It would require a completely new structure to meet safety and environmental standards, according to Matt Tyree with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment.

“We have looked at a number of options, including an engineer’s report on replacing the dam… and the ministry felt the costs were far too much as a realistic option.

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“We’re looking at decommissioning that dam at some point in the future but possibly still looking for options to continue managing a fishery there but just more of a naturalized opportunity than the current reservoir structure,” he explained.

The dam is monitored a few times a year for any risks and will continue to keep going for as long as possible, Tyree said.

There is no definitive timeline but he said they’ve talked to the city and private developers about also creating a new pond closer to town. He hoped a new site could be created before the Nisbet Pond dam is decommissioned.

Meanwhile, a local user group – the Northern Waters Flyfishers – recently put up a sign at the pond alerting the public to its future plight. They’re frustrated with the lack of information coming from the province about such an important public resource.

The Northern Waters Flyfishers want the government to inform them what the plans are for the future of the public resource. (Submitted photo/Northern Waters Flyfishers)

President of the non-profit club, Kendall Kerr, says they had made a proposal back in 2016 about rehabilitating the pond and fixing amenities such as the pit toilet and parking lot. He says the area has suffered from vandalism over the years. They even reached out to a retired engineer to get an estimate on fixing the dam but he said they never heard back from the province.

“We’re just trying to be an advocate on behalf of the public and all the different groups who come to the pond,” Kerr said. “We’re not being informed about what’s going on and we just want the government to come out and advise the public.”

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glenn.hicks@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow