Manteno Park
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Manteno Park - Six Bee Tree Nature Trail
Set in the hills of Grove township is the Shelby County Conservation Board's most popular area. Located northwest of Earling, it contains a 12 acre lake stocked with bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish
and bullhead. Manteno is know for its shaded picnic areas and calm atmosphere. A 40 acre tract of timber adjacent to the park was purchased in 1994 and made into a nature area. The Six Bee Tree Nature
Area is a forested tract of land set aside for the purpose of studying nature and the forest environment. A trail meanders throughout the area and is a popular spot to hike.
Onsite features include:
1. Modern camping facilities with electricity
2. Shower house with flush toilets and hot water
3. Two picnic shelters
4. Hiking trails
5. Canoe and boat access
6. Playground equipment
7. Picnic sites and grills
Camping rates:
$12.00 Electric sites
$10.00 Non-electric/tent sites
Opening and closing dates:
Manteno Park opens for camping on April 1st and closes mid-October.
Improvements at Manteno Lake
For years Manteno Park has been the most popular public area that the Shelby County Conservation Board manages. The lake at the park was constructed back in the early 1960s along with
many others in the Mill-Pic Watershed to help control sediment and slow down the cutting action of Mill Creek and its tributaries. Over the years, the lake has done its job and sediment has
been retained. This has caused the lake to be shallow in many areas with the sunlight easily penetrating to the bottom causing excessive aquatic vegetation. This has made it very frustrating
for anglers in the summer months, resulting in less campers and fishermen using the park. According to area DNR fisheries biologist Bryan Hayes, the lake experiences annual aquatic plant
growth resulting in 60% of the surface acres covered. This interferes with the balance of the fish population. Twenty-five percent vegetation coverage is desirable and considered the
standard sought after from a management standpoint. Chemical treatment and grass carp have been used annually with only temporary relief, if any. These practices are only treating the symptoms;
while deepening the area will get at the real problem. A grant through Fish Habitat fees was recently obtained to accomplish this deepening. The first stage of renovation has been completed using a drag line
and long reach backhoe to reach out as far as possible from the north shoreline to remove and pile as much sediment as can be stacked on shore. This was done from about the boat ramp area on
to the west to the footbridge, including about 1500 feet of shoreline. These are areas where most bank fishermen frequent. After the sediment was spread along the north
shoreline to dry and then was leveled out. Trees will be planted in this area next spring. The Shelby County Conservation Board is once again applying for a fish habitat grant this fall. If funds are
awarded, another section of shoreline will be done to improving the fishery.
Click here to view the Manteno Park and Six Bee
Tree Nature Area photo gallery.
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