Posted on January 7, 2019
Rusty Braun said he appreciated being recognized by the City Council for volunteer work to improve Veterans Cove.
However, the attention left him “a little bit on the embarrassed side.”
Braun operates the Riviera Marina, which is downriver from the cove.
“It was a huge volunteer job you did for us,” City Manager Toby Cotter told Braun during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. “Boats can get in and out now.”
Braun spent a few hours each day operating equipment furnished by the city while continuing to run his bait and tackle business as well as Riviera Marina. He spent about 80 hours total in dredging the site.
He already had done such work to improve conditions so people could get in and out of his marina, which shares its entrance with the cove.
Cotter explained that while Braun was able to dredge only half of the cove, it was enough to provide boat access.
This work required permitting by the Army Corps of Engineers. The work timeline was cut short because fish spawn in the area at this time of year.
The city rented a backhoe for Braun but it turned out not to be big enough to do the job. So it was traded for a front-end loader, said Dave Heath, the city’s parks and recreation superintendent.
Even water releases from Davis Dam were timed to allow good enough conditions for Braun to dredge. It takes about four hours for the effect of a change in dam releases to be noticed at Veterans Cove, Heath said.
Braun also pulled out a large number of submerged items littering the river.
Though there is access in and out of the cove now, the stocking of rainbow trout in the river has been put on hold.
The partial shutdown of the federal government has resulted in trout not being added to the river. Braun said he expects the fish will be added soon after the politicians in Washington, D.C. resolve their differences.
There are stripers, however, he pointed out.
Braun also provided the venue for the Colorado River Best of the West Fishing Derby. The fishing competition was revived by the city this past June after a six-year hiatus.
Source: Mohave Valley Daily NewsRusty Braun
