Del Lago

  Dougherty "Lake" is a Retention Pond Alright, but what's the difference between a D etention pond and a R etention pond?   A detention pond is a reservoir created to temporarily hold storm water runoff.  D etention ponds have no outlets or spillways and rely on natural processes such as evaporation for water removal. A retention pond is a permanent pool of water in its design, constructed for the purpose of reducing downstream flooding. R etention ponds are designed with features like an outlet or spillway that regulates how much water can leave the pond at one time.   The Nature of Dougherty "Lake" Dougherty Lake is a Retention Pond.  It will never be a pristine mountain lake.  It is the natural low point for about 250 acres north of Beaver Dam Rd including our subdivision.  As a result it receives every bit of storm water through MSD sewers in that area.  This includes all the fertilizer runoff from lawns and all debris (plast...

I have no special "lake" qualifications.  I'm just trying to use common sense and all the advice and information that I can get to provide a healthy and affordable habitat in our lake.  There is a lot   more to our "lake" than fish. There was an abundance of bluegill and some spawning in the shallow areas on western shoreline. I stocked some catfish this year.   The reason being that I was told that catfish don't generally spawn in smaller bodies of water and don't naturally supplement when they die.  I was also told that catfish being bottom feeders would eat insect larvae/eggs off of the bottom of the lake. This year (2023) I stocked    200  6-8" channel cat     30  Lbs Golden Shiners 7000  Fathead Minnows   200  3-4" Hybrid Bluegill   400  3-4" Bluegill                          ...