Carp also degrade water quality by stirring up sediment while rooting in the mud for food. They also eat the eggs and fry (juvenile fish) of many species of fish, including possibly June Suckers. Studies are currently being done to determine the feasibility of removing 1 million pounds of carp from Utah Lake. Ten years ago, the total population of the June Sucker fish (found only in Utah Lake) was fewer than of the species was a looming 1,000. “Extinction with the help of the possibility,” says preservationist Michael Mills. Today, by way of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, that number is approaching a quarter of a million. Not enough to the goal. are working go unprotected just yet. But that’s “We towards getting the June sucker off the endangered species list and that will probably be the ultimate definition of says Mills. success,” The decision to take the species off the list resides with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the primary administrators of the Endangered Species Act. But while the additional stock of June Suckers are a impressive, there’s still problem. have June sucker spawning in Utah Lake “Even though we tributaries and producing millions of larval suckers, few of those naturally spawned suckers survive to become Mills. we adults,” explains “When reach the point of getting naturally produced and recruited adults, we will have overcome one of the big obstacles preventing recovery of the species.” Where do all the new adults currently come from then? Incubators at the Red Butte Reservoir and the Springville fish hatchery. Once the suckers reach adulthood, released into the Lake. to they’re “Thanks largely a successful hatchery and refuge program that has produced over 200,000 June sucker to stock into Utah Lake since 2004, extinction of the species has been averted. Combined with projects that have put water back into the Provo River, restored the delta area at Hobble Creek, and , we are reaching a point where we are seeing success in a variety of areas.” In addition to recovery of the June sucker, Mills and his team have a second goal of ensuring the continued use and development of area water projects, including the federal Central Utah to deliver the Project. “In order
Carp also degrade water quality by stirring up sediment while rooting in the mud for food. They also eat the eggs and fry (juvenile fish) of many species of fish, including possibly June Suckers. Studies are currently being done to determine the feasibility of removing 1 million pounds of carp from Utah Lake. Ten years ago, the total population of the June Sucker fish (found only in Utah Lake) was fewer than 1,000. “Extinction of the species was a looming possibility,” says preservationist Michael Mills. Today, with the help of the by way of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, that number is approaching a quarter of a million. Not enough to go unprotected just yet. But that’s the goal. “We are working towards getting the June sucker off the endangered species list and that will probably be the ultimate definition of success,” says Mills. The decision to take the species off the list resides with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the primary administrators of the Endangered Species Act. But while the additional stock of June Suckers are impressive, there’s still a problem. “Even though we have June sucker spawning in Utah Lake tributaries and producing millions of larval suckers, few of those naturally spawned suckers survive to become adults,” explains Mills. “When we reach the point of getting naturally produced and recruited adults, we will have overcome one of the big obstacles preventing recovery of the species.” Where do all the new adults currently come from then? Incubators at the Red Butte Reservoir and the Springville fish hatchery. Once the suckers reach adulthood, they’re released into the Lake. “Thanks largely to a successful hatchery and refuge program that has produced over 200,000 June sucker to stock into Utah Lake since 2004, extinction of the species has been averted. Combined with projects that have put water back into the Provo River, restored the delta area at Hobble Creek, and , we are reaching a point where we are seeing success in a variety of areas.” In addition to recovery of the June sucker, Mills and his team have a second goal of ensuring the continued use and development of area water projects, including the federal Central Utah Project. “In order to deliver the