Fishermen work to catch carp, clear Utah Lake water by 2017


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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Lake isn't known for being the cleanest water in the Beehive State, but the Utah Lake Commission says it has a plan to make the lake crystal clear in less than five years.

Efforts are already underway to restore the lake to nicer conditions.

Michael Aland and other regulars love the lake, but they say it's pretty dirty. The murky water even deters some locals, forcing them to go elsewhere when they want to get in the water.

"A lot of my friends like to go up to Deer Creek just because it doesn't look as dirty," Aland said.

Sometimes parts of Utah Lake are more like a muddy swamp, covered in algae.

"A lot of people say it's gross out there," said Phil Schow, another boater. "Later in the year when it starts to get green on top, that's when I quit coming out."

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Lake officials said it's because of the common carp in the lake. The species was introduced in the lake in the late 1800s and now about 7.5 million adult carp make up 90 percent of the fish in the lake.

"They get down on the bottom of the lake and root around," said Michael Mills with the June Sucker Recovery Program. "They rip out any vegetation and that vegetation is what holds sediment in place. (It) would hold the lake bottom in place and contribute to clearer water."

In an effort to save the endangered June sucker, fishermen are working year round to remove 5 million pounds of carp each year. If they meet their goal, Utah Lake officials say it could be a very different place by 2017, with clearer water, less algae and a better fish community.

"Where this has been done in the past, it's almost like turning on a light switch," Mills said

A similar process was done on an Iowa lake. The difference was drastic: one side where the carp were removed was clear, while the other side of the lake was murky and still full of carp. Boaters are hoping to see similar results in Utah Lake.

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Kathryn May

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