PAYSON — Biologists with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources say illegally dumped goldfish are taking over Maple Lake — and it’s time to flush them out.
In mid-October, division biologists will use the piscicide rotenone to kill off the fish.
Chris Crockett, regional aquatics manager for the division, said in a statement the goldfish — once the pets of those who placed them in the lake — have multiplied over the past few years and are now competing with trout in the lake for food.
“And that’s not all,” Crockett said. “The goldfish are eating the native plants and reducing the lake’s water quality by stirring up sediment. None of those things are good for the health of the lake.”
The water level at Maple Lake, which is in Payson Canyon, is being drawn down to increase the effectiveness of the treatment and allow water users to inspect the dam.
Currently there is no public access to the lake due to a forest fire in Payson Canyon. And the Maple Lake campground is closed for the season. If public access reopens this month, access for recreational activities, including wading, swimming, boating and fishing, will be prohibited while the rotenone is being applied and for 14 days after the lake is treated.