Upper Prior Lake in Minnesota is recovering after years of cloudy, algae-filled water, thanks in part to an unusual tactic that helped crews target invasive carp, as the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
What happened?
In Scott County, the 400-acre Upper Prior Lake was swamped by invasive carp. Their feeding behavior disturbed bottom sediment, sent nutrients back into the water, and left native plants struggling to survive, per the paper.
After years of unsuccessful efforts to net the fish, local crews changed their strategy.
The breakthrough came in 2016, when officials implanted radio transmitters in a few carp, according to the Star Tribune. By following the signals, they identified pre-breeding gathering areas, shoreline travel routes, and winter schools beneath the ice, which helped crews haul out 34 tons of carp…