Waynesville City Council members, fly anglers and others just interested in conservation came to the Economic Committee meeting Tuesday hoping to hear a promise to improve the Roubidoux Creek, and they didn’t go away disappointed.
Nick Girondo, a Missouri Department of Conservation fisheries biologist, told the 15 people who gathered at City Hall that funds are available to make improvements on the creek that runs through Waynesville, and that those improvements will make for better for fishing, particularly for trout.
“We’ve got $2,500, and that will allow for a lot of rock,” said Girondo, who is from the Rolla office.
Girondo said first and foremost it is his intent to improve the stretch of the creek that runs right through town known as the White Ribbon area.
“We’re going to concentrate on the White Ribbon area. We’d like to narrow down the river and in the process make it deeper,” Girondo said, explaining the deeper the water will make it colder and more conducive for trout.
The city has long discussed about marketing the stretch of the Roubidoux as a trout-fishing destination.
“Fish habitat is dynamic, though. It’s going to change with just about every rain,” Girondo cautioned.
That, however, didn’t matter to Economic Committee members Ward 3 Councilwoman Luge Hardman, Ward 2 Councilman Alan Clark and Ward 1 Councilwoman Twyla Cordry who were happy with Girondo’s intent to begin the process in the heart of Waynesville.
“We’re very interested in improving the Roubidoux,” Hardman said. “We haven’t really ignored it, but we haven’t pushed all the right buttons either. This can really be an economic engine for Waynesville.”
Clark, who has fished the Roubidoux, offered his opinion of the stretch of the creek where Girondo wants to begin improvements.
“I don’t know that it gets much better than what we got right here in Waynesville,” he said. “This kind of stuff really gets me excited.”
And as for Cordry, she asked why the city hasn’t put forth more of an effort to publicize the Roubidoux.
“We don’t even have a trout fishing brochure, do we?”
For the lack of a brochure, the Roubidoux is not a secret, as was pointed out by some who own property along its banks.
“It’s not a best-kept secret,” said a man in the back row, who admitted to owning a stretch along the waterway.
For their interest, city leaders and anglers assured Girondo that they would be willing to volunteer efforts to aid the cause and even urge city officials to assist with earth-moving equipment to further extend the improvement dollars.
“Certainly, if the city can let us use its equipment operators that would stretch the dollars,” Girondo said. “That goes a long way to talk about a partnership.”
Park Board member Roger Olney assured Girondo not to limit the plan to just the amount designated by the Department of Conservation.
“I wouldn’t limit the plan to the budget you have. I think a lot of people who are interested (would be willing to support this). Maybe we can even market this through the Chamber of Commerce,” Olney said.
Olney urged Girondo to provide a timetable for starting the improvements, and by doing that, it could better orchestrate its efforts.
“We’ll get it in this spring or summer and then we’ll see what happens,” Girondo said. “If we do a little bit this year we can do more in the future.”
Buckhorn, Mo. —
