Field reports: Newman Lake erosion topic at open meeting

LAKES – Erosion of the Newman Lake shoreline will be discussed by a panel of agency officials in an open meeting for lake area homeowners and the public at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Tri-Community Grange just north of the intersection of Trent and Starr.

The meeting, organized by several citizen associations, will feature a panel of local agency officials including Walt Edelen of Spokane Conservation District, Karin Divins of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Jacob McCann, Washington State Department of Ecology and others.

Newman Lake in northeast Spokane County is losing beaches and shoreline at an alarming rate, citizens groups say. They contend that wave action from wake surf boats and high water levels are breaking down shoreline soils and vegetation, increasing organic sediments and degrading water quality.

Info: newmanlakewa.com/ ACTION.html.

Pikeminnow reward program makes haul

FISHING – The Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery Program hauled in 225,226 of the salmon-eating predators in the 2016 season that ended last month on portions of the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Rewards of $5 to $8 per fish plus bonuses for tagged fish were paid to 27,759 anglers who fished from the lower Columbia upstream to the Clarkston area of the Snake.

In 2015, the catch total was 200,213 reward-size northern pikeminnow during a 23-week field season. Catches were 36,155 fish higher than 2014, and up from the 1991 to 2014 annual harvest average of 173,317 fish.

Northern pikeminnow, a large member of the minnow family, eat millions of young salmon and steelhead, and other fish like bass, walleye and shad in the Columbia and Snake rivers each year.

Info: www.pikeminnow.org.

Fishing for salmon, steelhead closed

FISHING – Fishing for salmon and steelhead closed Saturday on the main stem Columbia River from Buoy 10 near the mouth of the river upstream to the Hwy 395 Bridge near Pasco.

The quota of endangered salmon stocks had been taken, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

The action protects Snake River fall chinook, which are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Kayak basics offered

PADDLING – A free program on whitewater kayaking basics will be presented by Celene Olgeirsson and Bucky Sturgeon of the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, at Mountain Gear Headquarters, 6021 E. Mansfield in Spokane Valley.

Nordic ski swap

WINTERSPORTS – A Nordic skiing and snowshoeing gear swap is set for Nov. 5 at Fitness Fanatics, 12425 E. Trent, in Spokane Valley.

For information on selling or buying gear, call the shop, (509) 922-6080.

Film tickets going fast

FILMS – Tickets are selling fast for the Banff Mountain Film Festival road show coming to Spokane’s Bing Crosby Theater on Nov. 18-20, says Phil Bridgers of Mountain Gear, noting that the annual event was a sellout last year.

Tickets are available at the Mountain Gear Website or at the retail store, 2002 N Division in Spokane.