The Restoration: Fish Kill Done At Lake Yankton
The restoration of Lake Yankton took place Wednesday as a work crew braved chilly winds and drizzle to introduce about 700 gallons of the poison Rotenone into the lake, located at the foot of Gavins Point Dam west of Yankton. The restoration project was undertaken because invasive fish species had entered the lake during the 2011 flooding along the Missouri River, and had taken over much of the body. Since the official announcement of the project last month, the manmade lake was drained down approximately four feet, and liberalized fishing regulations were introduced to begin culling the fish population. On Wednesday morning, the joint project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission took place. The poison was introduced on boats and manually along the shoreline. Shortly after the start, numerous fish began floating to the surface. Many of the fish were carp, especially Asian carp. This created a feeding frenzy for gulls (right) and other bird life, which are unaffected by the Rotenone. The poison is expected to take a week to detoxify. The dead fish will be allowed to decompose, thus returning nutrients back to the ecosystem. Lake levels will be returned to normal shortly, and some fish will be restocked this fall, with more restocking set for 2015. To see video of Wednesday’s project, visit www.yankton.net.
Related
The restoration of Lake Yankton took place Wednesday as a work crew braved chilly winds and …
The restoration of Lake Yankton took place Wednesday as a work crew braved chilly winds and …
A chemical restoration began Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014, at Lake Yankton in Yankton, South Da…
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.