Prior Lake Spring Lake Watershed District
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Posts tagged "invasive species"

COLOSSAL CARP CATCH ON UPPER PRIOR LAKE

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - January 23, 2018 - News, Carp Management, Prior Lake

In a record-setting event on January 18th, the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District’s consultants, WSB & Associates, coordinated the efforts by Geyer Commercial Fishing, LLC to capture an astounding 35,000 pounds (17 tons) of carp with their nets below the ice of Upper Prior Lake.

A large hole was cut in the ice and carp were pulled out of the lake over three days. The carp were then loaded onto two semi-trucks outfitted with water tanks to keep them alive on their way to fish markets: one in New York and then game lakes in the southern states where carp are prized by fishermen.

Upper Prior Lake poses many challenges to commercial fishermen: natural rocks and uncharted debris at the lake bottom, steep drop-offs and varying bathymetry, curly-leaf pondweed mats, and an infestation of zebra mussels. Due to these challenges, this carp removal was the first commercially viable netting of carp ever conducted on Upper Prior.  Future carp netting operations will now be met with more optimism, given the success of this harvest.

The Watershed District has a plan in place to improve the water quality of Upper Prior Lake and removing carp is the first step.  According to the Department of Natural Resources’ website, “Common carp are one of the most damaging aquatic invasive species due to their wide distribution and severe impacts in shallow lakes and wetlands. Their feeding disrupts shallowly-rooted plants, muddying the water and releasing phosphorus that increases algae abundance. Native aquatic plants diminish, along with waterfowl and fish who depend upon them.”

This big carp haul represents only a portion of the total carp population in Upper Prior Lake.  While approximately 3,000 carp were removed, that’s estimated to be just under 20% of the population; an estimated 17,000 carp (approximately 200,000 lbs.) may still be swimming in the lake. The largest fish captured during the netting was over three feet in length and weighed in at a whopping 42 pounds! Scientists estimate that this fish could be over 50 years old.

Radio-tags were previously implanted into 20 carp and released back into Upper Prior Lake. These carp acted as spies for the Watershed District, sending out signals that located their position in the lake. If the carp group together again later this winter and/or spring, the Watershed District will work quickly to conduct another seine in the hopes that the population will reach a manageable level.

This project is part of an integrated pest management strategy that includes tracking the movement and population of carp, targeted carp removals, identifying spawning areas and installing carp barriers.  Partially funded by a MN Pollution Control Agency grant for carp management through the Clean Water Partnership, the project covers the three connected lakes—Spring, Upper Prior and Lower Prior Lakes.  For more information, visit the Carp Management page on our website. For pictures of the carp seine, visit the District’s Facebook page.

View Full Article Prior Lake, Upper Prior, carp, carp removal, fishermen, fishing, invasive species, seine

Clean Boats, Clean Lakes!

Posted by PLSLWD Staff - November 3, 2017 - News, Prior Lake

Cleaning stations at local lakes could help prevent the spread of AIS in MN.  This cleaning station is located at Bryant Lake Park in Eden Prairie. 

Zebra mussels. Curlyleaf pondweed. Eurasian watermilfoil. Spiny waterflea. Aquatic invasive species continue to wreak havoc on Minnesota lakes and many popular lakes around the state have been invaded by at least one invasive species. Lake Minnetonka, Lake Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, White Bear Lake are all infested with aquatic invasive species. Closer to home, Upper & Lower Prior Lake, Pike Lake and O’Dowd Lake are too.

Given the media coverage on AIS, it might seem like every lake is doomed. However, only 5% of Minnesota’s 11,000 lakes are on the DNR’s list of infested waters1. And that’s where the public comes in.

You can help keep invasive species from spreading to the rest of Minnesota’s lakes by following the CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY motto. Check and clean your boat every time you take your boat out of a lake and double check that your boat is clean before putting it into another lake or river.

Boat inspectors can’t be everywhere and in the rush of getting on or off the lake, many people forget or don’t realize they need to check their boat and drain any water. To address this problem, the Minnesota-based company, CD3, has developed a watercraft cleaning station.

The CD3 cleaning stations are equipped with a suite of tools to help boater quickly clean their boats and trailers with the help of a wet/dry vacuum, air compressor, drain plug wrench, scrub brush and squeegee as well as overhead and foot-level lights. The stations are free for users. Staff can monitor station usage and many maintenance needs remotely.

You can see a station in action here or visit Bryant Lake Park in Eden Prairie to see one for yourself.

Five CD3 stations were installed in Minnesota this year as a pilot project: four at metro area lakes and one in Duluth. The pilots have gone well; to date the stations have been used close to 7,000 times this year.

While a cleaning station would not be a silver bullet to preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species, it would serve as another tool to educate the public and get people into the habit of cleaning their boats.

What can I do?

You can help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. Take three steps every time you leave a lake or river – whether or not it’s infested:

  • Clean all aquatic plants, zebra mussels, and other invasive species from boats, trailers, and water-related equipment.
  • Drain water from your boat, ballast tanks, motor, live well and bait container. Remove drain plugs and keep drain plugs out while transporting equipment.
  • Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. To keep live bait, drain the water and refill the bait container with bottled or tap water.

 

  1. Source: MN DNR www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html
View Full Article AIS, aquatic invasive species, invasive species

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Prior Lake – Spring Lake Watershed District

The District covers about 42 square miles in Scott County, MN. Water in the PLSLWD flows mainly from the southwest to the northeast through Spring, Upper Prior and Lower Prior Lakes, and then north through the Prior Lake Outlet Channel to the Minnesota River near Valley Fair amusement park.
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Prior Lake - Spring Lake Watershed District
4646 Dakota Street SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372

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