DIVERSION CHANNEL FISHING

There are three parties involved in boat regulations on the Headwaters Diversion Channel, which is managed by the Little River Drainage District: There are fishermen who use motorboats, members of the drainage district board and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Two of the three parties -- fishermen and district board members --agree that the best way to control levee damage is to allow boat motors up to 10 horsepower on the channel west of the boat ramp near I-55 and restrict boats using larger motors on the two miles of channel between the boat ramp and the Mississippi River to no-wake speeds. This allows fishermen with small boats to travel up and down the channel without causing any damage, and it allows boaters with bigger motors to get to the river from an easy access.

But the conservation department felt a no-wake rule for all of the diversion channel would be the best policy, and that is the rule that went into effect Jan. 1. Now upset fishermen are circulating a petition to get the new rule relaxed.

It seems like a meeting with drainage district board members, conservation officials and fishermen ought to resolve this matter fairly quickly without a lot of name-calling and petition blustering. Just tell a few good fishing stories, settle the matter, and then everyone could go fishing.