This April, an electric fish barrier will be installed at the outlet of West Vadnais Lake.

The barrier is part of a larger effort to reduce invasive carp numbers in West Vadnais Lake and protect carp reductions already accomplished in the Phalen chain of lakes. VLAWMO is working with Carp Solutions, Inc., and Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD) on a multi-year, carp-reduction project.

The electric fish barrier replaces a temporary physical barrier that was installed in April, 2020. A temporary barrier was put in place when plans for the electric barrier were put on hold due COVID-19 restrictions. The new barrier is part of a larger-scale effort that includes additional barriers and carp monitoring stations in the Ramsey-Washington watershed. It is also related to carp work in the Vadnais Lake Area Watershed focused in Pleasant Lake.

Some barriers are equipped with antennas to indicate carp movement to help identify spawning areas. Antenna register carp by detecting PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags that that were injected into carp during previous biomass surveys.

A warning sign for electric current in the water is posted at the outlet of West Vadnais Lake, visible to walkers or drivers from Twin Lake Blvd. With the help of these tools and technologies, future carp removal efforts will be targeted to where and when they’re most effective. Channels between lakes are often an effective harvest location during the spring when carp migrate to spawn.

VLAWMO looks forward to the results and thanks the project partners for supporting successful water management across jurisdictional boundaries. Watch for carp project updates at vlawmo.org/news and the West Vadnais Lake webpage.