Norwich - Driving along Route 169 on the way to Taftville, a person gets a quick glimpse to the left of a scenic small lake surrounded by grass and trees before the roadway dips and the Taftville Reservoir drops out of sight, and probably out of mind.

Two Norwich aldermen hope to bring the overlooked Taftville Reservoir into prominence as a recreational site, attracting fishermen, kayakers and canoeists and perhaps even owners of small electric-powered boats to the boot-shaped waterway off the junction of Route 169 and Old Canterbury Turnpike.

The City Council on Monday supported a resolution by aldermen Mark Bettencourt and Charles Jaskiewicz that calls for city officials to conduct a month-long study of the Taftville Reservoir to consider opening it up for fly fishing, ice fishing, kayaks, canoes, rowboats and small electric-powered boats with restricted speed limits.

The 63-acre reservoir, which is not used for city drinking water, is located adjacent to the Raymond "Cit" Ouellet Taftville Recreational Park. Jaskiewicz said a small off-loading area could be created along the park entrance road near the water's edge for people to unload boats from their vehicles before parking in a lot.

An area could be created for handicapped-access fishing as well, Jaskiewicz said.

Bettencourt called the Taftville Reservoir "an underutilized resource," while Spaulding Pond in Mohegan Park is over-fished and crowded with fishermen and swimmers during the summer.

Jaskiewicz said he and Bettencourt are "adamant" that there be no plans to open the Taftville Reservoir for swimming.

The reservoir is listed in the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection fishing guide for some fish species, but Jaskiewicz said the listing could be expanded and city officials could ask the state agency to stock the reservoir with trout for next year.

While Norwich Public Utilities has no records as to which fish species are in the reservoir, Jaskiewicz said people already know the reservoir has bluegill, perch and pumpkinseed fish and as well as large-mouth bass, pickerel and bullhead catfish.

Bob Sampson, a local sport fisherman and science teacher at Thames River Academy, said the limited accessible areas of the reservoir are fished out, but that by allowing small boats, it could become a good fishing spot.

"It's a nice little lake," Sampson said. "And parts of it, there really isn't any access there."

I'm not saying this is a huge new fishing spot, it is on the small side, the article claims maybe electric motors only, but it would be one more NEW spot. I think new places like this should have more restrictive fish limits then the norm to protect the fish populations

densik, respect your opinion, I just posted what info is in the paper