Hemenway Marina

 The Hemenway Marina also called the Lake Mead Marina, is by far the most iconic and best-known marina on Lake Mead. This picture is in a spot between the marina and Hemenway fishing pier. Fishing is not allowed inside the marina boundaries; thus, we are just to the north of the marina. With large numbers of watercraft coming and going in this location, the question beckons: Why fish here?

It’s no secret that Lake Mead has some water level problems. Shorelines are redefined by this change in a dramatic fashion. The area around Hemenway Marina and Boulder Beach appear to handle these annual fluctuations better than some coves around Lake Mead. Many areas have steep cliffs to the water’s edge, which seemingly worsen when the water drops. In contrast, the marina’s surroundings consist of large flats arranged in steps.

 It’s these large flat areas that act as feeding grounds for fish. Aquatic plants grow in these sunlit waters and this attracts fish, providing food and shelter for them. This, in turn, draws in predators of all sorts. This improves nutrient cycles that support the circle of life. This is a lot harder to achieve in some of the deep dark cliffs, and that makes this area a more suitable spot to find fish.

But it is never that simple. Another big factor in this area is the effect humans have on nature. Be it good or bad, our actions can change fish behavior. Building docks create new structures for fish to hide out in. In an “ocean” of water, anything different will attract life. The actions we take on these docks, however…

Hemenway Marina has become a spot where people feed fish. Large amounts of fish school around, waiting for some hazardous snack. Now, it’s fun to see the fish around and it helps the fishing if the fish are near this area. But this is one of those problems that seem harmless, however, the future pays for the way we meddle with nature today.