Why You NEED To Fish This Cedar Rapids Pond THIS Weekend

Grab your fishing poles. This Cedar Rapids pond will soon be no more.

Sometimes the cost of progress is a hefty one for wildlife and this appears to be one of those times.

This morning, I learned from a friend (Nick) who lives near the Cedar Rapids pond pictured below, that it will be drained on Monday.

The pond sits right off 18th St. SW, between Wilson Ave. and 16th Ave. That pond and the area around it will soon be a 5-acre dry bottom basin to help protect the area from flooding during periods of heavy rain. A large number of trees has already been removed and the area that includes the pond, which sits higher than the portion of the area that's already been transformed, must also be lowered.

I went to investigate this morning and what I saw was a pond, stocked over the years by neighbors, brimming with life. In one spot, you could see small fish, probably two inches long, seemingly darting in every direction. Nick told me they're likely bluegill, which he's caught many of over the last five years since he moved in nearby. He said it's a favorite spot of he and his daughters because many times you can throw in a line and almost immediately get "a bite." The girls went with us to visit the pond this morning and their attachment to it was obvious. I could also feel Nick's sadness as he quietly gazed out over the water. I watched him, clearly deep in thought. I imagine he was remembering visits with his wife and daughters and about what will happen to everything living beneath the water's surface. I know he's bothered by that most of all, which is my call to you today.

It's a free fishing weekend in Iowa, so PLEASE go fish this pond today and Sunday. If you know someone who has a pond, ask them if they might join you with a net or two. It may be the only chance those little fish have. I hope the turtles and frogs can survive what's coming, but I know the fish won't be that lucky.