Carp Fest fundraiser

In late fall 2023 the Harrisons Bay Association in partnership with the LMCD hired Carp Solutions to do a carp population assessment on Harrisons, West Arm and Jennings bays.  The results were staggering.  A healthy level of carp for an ecosystem is 100 lbs/acre.  Here are the results:

• Harrisons - 401 lbs/acre
• Jennings - 654 lbs/acre
• West Arm - 839 lbs/acre

Calculating this out for all 3 bays it means over 700,000 lbs of carp in the 3 bays!  We are looking for volunteers from West Arm and Jennings to help us tackle this issue and lobby the agencies for more attention to the problem.

High populations of carp disrupt the sediment in the lake and release phosphorus that leads to algae blooms,  they disrupt feeding, spawning and nursery habitat for game fish and they uproot native vegetation.

• ENGAGEMENT: We've presented the problem to the Cities of Minnetrista, Mound and LMCD to gain support.  
• SPRING MOVEMENT:  Received grants from LMCD & Minnehaha Creek Watershed to install 3 antenna's in Painters Creek to track spring movement for spawning
• BOW FISHING TOURNAMENT:  Lobbied LMCD to approve a Lake Minnetonka bow fishing tournament - July 29, 2023
• RESEARCH:  Enlisted resident participation in a research study with the U of MN to understand how sound can attract carp to feeding stations - Summer 2023

 Did you know that there are over 2000 species of carp (Cyprinidae) across the world? The common carp (Cyprinus Carpio) grows up to 47 inches and 88 pounds.  
Carp were introduced as a game fish by early settlers as far back as 1880 and have long made Minnesota waters, including Lake Minnetonka, their home. Concern around their negative impact to our natural, amazing waterways in the last 10-15 years has increased dramatically, and for good reason.  
Carp represent a risk to our water quality across the lake, but specifically in Harrisons Bay, in several key areas:

• Carp uproot and suspend native submerged vegetation, making it difficult  to establish a  healthy system
• Carp create higher levels of suspended sediment, reducing water clarity and making it  difficult for native, healthy vegetation to grow
• Carp often times re-suspend sediment bound phosphorus that historically made its way  into the lake through upstream and local runoff (and can create dangerous algae blooms)
• Carp activity creates turbid, nutrient rich water that reduces dissolved oxygen concentrations
• Carp directly impact and disrupt feeding, spawning and nursery habitat for various game  fish

For more information and studies, please visit: https://maisrc.umn.edu/common-carp