Howell: Fisheries biologist sets sights on Lake Wichita
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<http://www.timesrecordnews.com/photos/2012/nov/14/75152/> Contributed photo
Tom Lang, with children Fisher, River and Hunter after a successful Kansas
duck hunt.
Photo by Picasa ; www.timesrecordnews.com
Contributed photo Tom Lang, with children Fisher, River and Hunter after a
successful Kansas duck hunt.
<http://www.timesrecordnews.com/photos/2012/nov/14/75152/> Contributed
photo
Tom Lang, with children Fisher, River and Hunter after a successful Kansas
duck hunt.
Photo by Picasa
There's a new fisheries biologist in town. Tom Lang (AFS member, '00), a
graduate of Purdue University and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff,
started his tenure as TPWD's Fisheries Management Supervisor for the local
Inland Fisheries District 2E office last month.
We first met in San Francisco in 2007 at the American Fisheries Society
(AFS) meeting. The world of fisheries biologists is small. They run in the
same circles, belong to the same organizations, developing professional and
personal friendships that last.
My husband introduced me to Tom. I liked him. As a new graduate, his
enthusiasm was infectious. He is a Kentucky native, as am I, so we hit it
off immediately.
Later that year, he landed a job with Kansas Wildlife and Parks (KDWPT) as
the statewide coordinator of their fisheries programs, which includes
community lakes, leased private lakes for public access, aquatic education
and marketing.
As years passed, Tom and Mark stayed in contact. Mark contracted with KDWPT
through Tom, working the Kansas State Fair in 2010. If he had lived, he
would have continued part-time work with the agency after retirement.
Unfortunately, the next time I saw Tom was at my husband's funeral in
central Kansas last year. Evidently God had other plans.
Tom was doing great things for KDWPT, with two of his statewide programs
being recognized by the AFS as the best in the entire country. He was making
a difference in Kansas. When I asked what brought him to Texas, he replied,
"I wanted the opportunity to smell like fish again. Angler numbers were on
the rise. I was traveling the state, doing my job. But I am a fish biologist
at heart. I wanted to be hands-on, in the field, making a difference in
community."
The existing crew welcomed the extra set of hands. They had been doing the
work of four people, with only three bodies, since August 2011. Robert Mauk,
assistant biologist, has been in his position for more than 15 years. The
two technicians, Wes Dutter and Steven Hise, both are 13 year veterans of
the department.
"These guys kept the office running, maintaining the basic core of
responsibility, and did not fail to live up to TPWD's high standards. They
are to be commended," Tom said. "But now we are fully staffed, ready to kick
off and move forward."
My family's trip to Lake Wichita in 1991 "sealed the deal" for our move
here. But it wasn't quite the same for Tom last month. He jokes, "On my
first day in the office, the guys drove me out to Lake Wichita. They wanted
to make sure I didn't want to run off after seeing it."
Tom doesn't shy away from a challenge. He earnestly calls Lake Wichita our
city's jewel.
"I'm not going to lie, it has issues," he said. "However, it also has great
potential. Look at its location. There's great access. It can be big enough
to provide a significant and diverse fishery. There are many amenities close
by.
He recognizes there's no easy fix, but insists the problems are not
insurmountable.
"The two biggest problems are golden alga and drought. Dredging, although a
costly option, would allow the lake to maintain a more fish-friendly storage
capacity. Then, whenever drought comes, deeper water levels give the fish
population a better chance at survival."
He embraces the "glass-half-full" mentality by seeing the lake's current
situation as a positive. It is the perfect time to create better fish
habitat, dredge, and work on better access for the currently unusable boat
ramps.
"I take a holistic approach to fisheries management. We want to look at our
resources through the eyes of the angler. What does a particular water body
provide? What does the fisherman want to catch? Is there good enough access?
Does everyone know the regulations and rules?"
Furthermore, he has applies common sense:
"You have to look at potential anglers - young families aren't going to fish
in areas with no bathrooms close by," he said." To get younger anglers
hooked, there must be fish to catch.
He's eager to work in conjunction with local partners in city governments
such as Iowa Park, Petrolia, Graham, among others, as well as here in
Wichita Falls. He quotes the adage: "Many hands make light work."
Welcome, Tom. When you say the good old days for fishing are still ahead of
us, I believe you. Hopefully Mother Nature will come through with copious
amounts of rain this winter to make your job a bit easier. In the meantime,
continue getting your feet wet (or dusty, as the case may be), getting to
know the area. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful Texas
friendship.
____________________________________________________
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