The Columbia Basin Walleye Club was founded in 1992 and later Incorporated in 2004. We received our 501(c)(3) Classification in 2010. The club is a family based organization consisting of appropriately 80 families. Our funding is derived from memberships, special projects and our annual Club banquet. The club is organized to educate, conserve, and enhance the sport of fishing and to promote cooperation with other organizations or agencies with similar objectives.
The Club takes part in many community based activities through the year. We donate time and money to the coats for kids program, Operation Friendship, which is the toy drive for the Moses Lake Food Bank, we purchase about $1000.00 in toys and donate them to the Food Banks toy drive. The Club built two youth/disabled fishing ponds at the Columbia Basin Fish Hatchery and had State fishing rules changed to serve this group of fishers. The Club provides a yearly fishing excursion for 20 plus kids for the Boys & Girls Club. A day of fishing for the Girl Scouts, we assist with Fishing kids day at Cascade Park (up to 600 kids), the CAST (Catch a Special Thrill) for kids program at the potholes Reservoir. The Club also assist in fishing excursions for the special needs kids as requested by school teachers (we are always in need of more boats for this event, we had to turn some kids away this past year).
If you are interested in becoming a part of this great Club please mail in your membership request to Columbia Basin Walleye Club, P. O. Box 1501, Moses Lake., WA 98837. Membership dues are $20.00 a year per family.
The Columbia Basin Walleye Club request the communities financial help and support to build a fishing pier at Blue Heron Park on Moses Lake.
The idea of the pier started in 2007 by club member, Gary Main. Norm Foster, from Deleron Flotations contacted Gary about constructed of the dock at Blue Heron. Gary visited the factory and was very impressed in the durability of these docks.
Moses Lake has an unique make up of different weather conditions. From high water, very little water, freezing water, to freezing ground. It takes a unique structure to with stand all the changes without damage to the dock. They ran into some difficulty acquiring their 501c3 (non profit status), so the dock was tabled at that time. We picked it back up about a year ago and it is going strong. We have received remarkable support from the City of Moses Lake, Vision 2020, Moses Lake Parks and Recreation, the Sheriff department (they police the waters), Moses Lake Irrigation and Recreational Department, and the community of Moses Lake. Donations are coming in however, we have a ways to go if we want to break ground in March of 2012 (has to be done when the water level is down).
The dimensions of the pier will be 8 feet by hundred feet, a platform at the end of the dock will be 20 feet by 40 feet. There will be a railing along the bottom of the dock for wheel chair safety. The average high water at the end of the pier is 26 feet.
There will be recognition for all donations no mater how small or how large along the railing of the pier. There will be 4 sizes depending upon the size of the donation. The fish range in size from 6 inches to 24 inches depending up the size of the donation. The small to large fish will be mounted on the railing of the pier with the name of the contributor lasered on the fish. The super fish (for donations of $5000.00 or greater) will be displayed on a board at the entrance of the dock
All of the fish and the name lasered on them is donated by Laserfab of M.L. and the powder coating is donated by Metron of Moses Lake.
The parking lot going to the pier will be redone for easy access to the pier for the disabled and wheel chair individuals who would like to have a safe place to fish.
Our hope is to provide a safe place for people who do not have a boat and to get the kids and the people off of the I-90 bridge.
The Parks and Recreation will be working with us to get the appropriate permits and upon completion of the Dock we will donate it to the city for final ownership and maintenance of the dock.
We hope in the future to start a program for underwater habitat on Moses Lake (similar to Potholes Reservoir), working with WDFW on potential rule changes for Walleye fishing to inland lakes based on survey data.
Donations can be mailed to Kandi Bersanti, AmerianWest Bank, 322 S. Division, Moses Lake, WA 98837 or Columbia Basin Walleye Club, Attention: Janet Baker, P. O. Box 1501, Moses Lake, WA 98837. All donations are tax deductible and a receipt will be mailed upon request.
I look forward to all of you at the dedication of the Dock at the Blue Heron Park.
Thank you in advance for your help in funding this project.
Janet M. Baker, Treasurer
Dock Project Committee Member
