Fish and Games

Twenty years ago, voters in Oregon approved the creation of the Devils Lake Water Improvement District, with the goal of restoring health to Devils Lake. That lake later become the first body of water in Oregon where triploid grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were introduced to control aquatic weeds. As reported by the Newport News Times, this past month the Oregon Bass and Panfish Club petitioned the Oregon Fish and Game Commission to add the carp to their list of acceptable sport fish to catch at the lake. Apparently the carp are doing too good of a job, and the lake has not been able to reach a "balance of vegetation." DLWID board members recognized that they need a better, more complex plan to manage the lake ecosystem, and have pledged to work with the state Department of Fish & Wildlife. In the meantime, they were pleased that the F&GC recently rejected the carp-catching proposal.