(Released: July 23, 2019 - Expired: August 04, 2019)

Division of Sport Fish
Dave Rutz, Director
Anchorage Headquarters Office
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518


Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
www.adfg.alaska.gov


Contact: Jay Baumer, Area Management Biologist
(907) 267-2265

Invasive Goldfish Removal at Cuddy Pond

(Anchorage) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Division of Sport Fish will be eradicating illegally introduced goldfish from a man-made pond located in mid-town Anchorage.

Cuddy Pond, which is in the middle of the Cuddy Park, was created to assist as a flood control area for Fish Creek. ADF&G has been working with the Municipality of Anchorage on the most efficient and effective approach to remove the invasive goldfish from the pond with minimal impacts to park users and Fish Creek. Through existing water management infrastructure, the waters of Fish Creek have been temporarily diverted around Cuddy Pond causing the pond to be isolated from Fish Creek. This allows Cuddy Pond to be treated with a fish pesticide called rotenone with no impacts to Fish Creek. Rotenone is a plant-based pesticide that is lethal to fish but is safe for organisms without gills at treatment levels.

The treatment is scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Signs will be posted around the pond notifying the public of the treatment. This treatment will not impact the use of the park, although the public will be asked to stay out of the pond while the rotenone is being applied. This follows standard safety protocols for all pesticide applications. Once the rotenone is mixed in the pond, there is no public access restriction to the water. However, we discourage the public from having contact with the water in Cuddy Pond until signs posted about the pesticide application are taken down. because the pond continues to have high levels of fecal coliform bacteria. The rotenone naturally breaks down from exposure to sun light and is expected to fully degrade in about 10 days. This will be verified with water tests. After the treatment, ADF&G will continue to monitor Cuddy Pond to assure that goldfish are completely removed.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Jay Baumer at (907) 267-2265.

#19-2808