Robbinsdale Kicks Off Carp-Removal Project
A major project kicks off in Robbinsdale this week to help improve the water quality of several lakes by reducing the population of an invasive species of carp.
“The amount of carp was too much for the lakes to handle,” said Marta Roser, Robbinsdale Water Resources Specialist. “So carp often are bottom feeders, and they’ll stir up the sediment which creates phosphorous release in the water, also preventing other plants from growing, which decreases other fishes’ habitat.”
The City of Robbinsdale has partnered with the Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission to improve the water quality of the Twin Lakes chain and nearby Ryan Lake.
This week, crews from Wenck Associates, Inc. will install a fish barrier off of France Avenue designed to catch the invasive carp and remove them from the water.
The goal is to catch roughly 7,000 carp before they have the opportunity to reproduce.
“It’s never fun to bring about the demise of an animal,” Roser said. “But because these are an introduced species, they are growing way disproportionately to other species.”
This is the second year in which they’ll use the fish barrier to catch the invasive carp. The fish caught by Wenck Associates will either turn into compost or be taken to wildlife rehabilitation centers.
