Due to a last minute schedule change, the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District has an opportunity to remove some obstructions on the bottom of Crystal Bay TODAY (Oct 8th) in anticipation of a future carp seine (removal) at this location. The District has seen carp group up in this bay multiple times over the last three years, but obstructions on the bottom have prevented any efforts to remove them. The planned obstruction removals for later today will help the District take advantage of the carps’ migratory behavior and aggregations in this bay, and will advance the carp management plan for Prior Lake.
What will be happening?
Jeff Riedemann, the commercial fisherman engaged for this project, will be running a chain along the bottom of the bay, concentrating on the southwest side where carp have grouped up in the past. When they hit a “snag”, they will be pulling the obstruction up and moving it to a different location in the bay that is further away from the potential seine area.
Will any tree branches or debris be removed from the lake?
Since there are zebra mussels (an invasive species) in Prior Lake, the debris will not be removed from the lake to minimize any risk of moving this species to uninfested waters. Leaving woody debris on the bottom of the lake is also beneficial to macroinvertebrates and fish.
Since there are zebra mussels (an invasive species) in Prior Lake, the debris will not be removed from the lake to minimize any risk of moving this species to uninfested waters. Leaving woody debris on the bottom of the lake is also beneficial to macroinvertebrates and fish.
Are carp going to be removed from the lake today?
At this time, we do not anticipate that any carp will be removed during the obstruction removals. However, if a large congregation of carp are present in the bay, the commercial fisherman may temporarily trap them with nets in the location to hold them there until preparations can be made for their removal.
What are the next steps for this project?
With Crystal Bay cleared of obstructions, this provides the District with another potential area to seine (remove) carp in Prior Lake. Later this fall and winter, the District will take opportunities as they arise to remove additional carp from Prior Lake. These efforts are part of a comprehensive approach to manage carp populations. More information can be found by clicking here: Integrated Pest Management Plan for Carp.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or check out our carp management website page at: https://www.plslwd.org/projects-and-programs/projects/carp-management/.
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