Here's Why Utah Is Poisoning All Of The Fish In A Local Lake

Utah officials are planning on wiping out all of the fish in a local lake by poisoning them. The Salt Lake City Tribune reported that Navajo Lake will be completely wiped out and restocked with rainbow, brook, and tiger trout.

So why is the state killing all of the fish in Navajo Lake?

According to Richard Hepworth, fisheries manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, a species of chub are invading the lake and are a detriment to other fish. Hepworth said:

"By pure numbers and better reproductive capabilities, there gets to be so many of them, that in a place like Navajo, they outcompete for food. But more importantly it’s about oxygen during the winter. All these chubs in here use up all the oxygen and then the trout all die. Trout are the preferred species to fish for at this lake, which is why we are working to restore Navajo Lake as a prize trout fishery."

How would officials poison all of the fish?

DWR would use a naturally occurring chemical called Rotenone. It's found in the roots of a South American legume. This chemical is toxic to gill-breathing creatures. DWR plans to mix about 9,000 pounds of powdered rotenone into the lake in mid-October.

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