Invasive Species and Their Effects
on Utah’s Waters
Aric Osieczanek
English 2010
2/10/2012
Osieczanek |1
BRIEF OVERVIEW
Osieczanek |2
Invasive Species and Their Effects on Utah’s Waters
INTRODUCTION
As an avid fisherman and lover of all things outdoors, I have always been very
interested in our ecosystem. I like to see how all the species within that ecosystem work
together in creating something harmonious, almost magical. As beautiful as it can be,
there is also an uglier side to nature. The most basic, and easily the most powerful,
driving force for every species in this world, is to survive and reproduce. All of these
species have become masters of this within their natural habitats. They have learned
how to interact and work with other species in that habitat.
The great circle of life is in constant motion. From time to time, however, that
circle of life is disturbed. Whether it is through natural causes or preventable causes, it
can create such a disturbance to a habitat that it is thrown off balance. In turn, causing
dramatic changes to the way the other species need to interact in order to survive and
reproduce. Sometimes the disturbance is so drastic that entire species are killed off.
This has become an increasing interest of mine as I have grown older and have
studied the effects of one species versus another. Though it does not just happen with
aquatic species, those are the species I have chosen to study. It has become a growing
issue in Utah. So much so, that state officials have made laws to help regulate the
problem. The introduction of invasive species into Utah’s waters being that problem.
Is it really a problem? What effect will it have on me? What can we do to help
control it? By gaining a better understanding of the situation, we will be aware and
better prepared to help prevent the spread of invasive species to our state’s water
habitats.
METHODOLOGY
So that I better understood why this issue was important, what the actual effect
was on the habitat, what we could do to help prevent it from happening or spreading, I
Osieczanek |3
have relied heavily on research done by professionals in the fields of biology and state
wildlife officials. I have reviewed their findings on various websites. I have also relied on
my personal experience and that of some close friends who spend time in these
habitats.
I chose to research the issue primarily by going right to the source. Biologists and
wildlife officials spend their days studying the cause and effects of things just like this. I
feel that, as trained professionals, they have the knowledge and experience to create
and analyze the scientific aspects of it. They find the issue, analyze it, and look for
solutions to resolve it. Because of the amount of information I was able to uncover, I
gained a better understanding of why the introduction of invasive species is a problem
and how we can help.
Secondly, I determined that it would be a valuable source of information to ask
those close to me about their experiences and issues with the introduction of invasive
species. I have personally had first-hand experiences with the negative effects of
invasive species. I decided to add my own thoughts as well as the thoughts of others to
see how they compared to the views of the trained professionals.
FINDINGS
A perfect example of an invasive species being introduce to a foreign habitat is
that of the Asian carp. “Two species of Asian carp – the bighead carp and the silver
carp – were imported into the southern United States to keep aquaculture facilities clean
and to provide fresh fish for fish markets. Bighead and silver carp escaped into the wild
in the 1970’s and have been swimming northward ever since, overwhelming the
Mississippi and Illinois River systems.”
They continue to explain, “Bighead and silver carp are voracious eaters. This is a
problem because the diet of Asian carp overlaps with the diet of native fish in the
Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Asian carp consume plankton—algae and other
microscopic organisms—stripping the aquatic food web of the key source of food for
native fish. Averaging 30-40 pounds, some Asian carp can grow to be over 100
Osieczanek |4
pounds. Both bighead and silver carp juveniles can eat between 20 and 120 percent of
their body weight each day.” ("http://www.asiancarp.us")
("http://www.asiancarp.us")
Though this specific case did not happen in Utah waters, it is a perfect example
of the dangers of introducing a foreign species to a local habitat. One thing I though was
interesting was that the Asian carp were initially introduced to benefit the aquaculture
facilities and fish markets. Though it was initially thought to be a good idea, decades
later we are realizing the increasingly negative effect of the introduction of this species.
Locally, Utah waters have seen an increase of its own invasive species. One of
those invasive species is an Alaska native that has taken over portions of Utah’s Green
River. It is the eel looking Burbot, often referred to as “poor mans lobster”.
“Burbot are a voracious predator, capable of breeding in both rivers and
reservoirs. As a result, they can have a serious impact on both native and sport fish
populations. Biologists working on Flaming Gorge Reservoir have already noticed a
rapid increase in the number of burbot in the reservoir and a corresponding decline in
the number of kokanee salmon. Burbot also pose a major risk to native fish in the Green
River. “("http://wildlife.utah.gov")
Osieczanek |5
This fish poses such a threat to the river’s and reservoir’s natural habitat that the
state has imposed “a ‘no tolerance’ fishing regulation on burbot in Utah: There’s no limit
on the number of burbot an angler can catch. Anglers may not release any burbot they
catch. All burbot must be killed immediately.” ("http://wildlife.utah.gov") The seemingly
drastic measures are proof of the severity of the invasive species to one of Utah’s great
natural habitats.
Another invasive fish species that was illegally introduced to Deer Creek
Reservoir is the White Bass. Deer Creek Reservoir is known for its healthy trout
population that help feed the Provo River. The fish quality and amount of trout in that
area make the Provo River a Blue Ribbon Fishery. So why are the White Bass such a
threat to the trout population?
White Bass “are aggressive predators. Soon after birth, young bass immediately
begin preying on other fish. This might not be a problem if the bass reproduced slowly,
but they are extraordinarily fertile. A single female white bass produces 900,000 eggs
per year. That's in comparison to the largemouth bass and rainbow trout females, which
produce 8,000 and 2,000 eggs per year, respectively. At those rates of reproduction,
Deer Creek could be overrun with white bass in just a few years.
("http://huntandfishregs.com")
Again, in this case we see an aggressive species taking control of this body of
water. Like with the Burbot, state agencies have taken drastic measures in trying to
reduce the explosion of White Bass in this reservoir. “In 2010, the Utah Wildlife Board
approved a catch-and-kill regulation for white bass in Deer Creek. If you catch a white
bass, you must kill it immediately. Releasing the bass is not an option.
If the bass completely overwhelm Deer Creek, the Division may have to
chemically treat the entire reservoir. A chemical approach would be effective, but
expensive, costing between $300,000 and $400,000. It would also take some time to
restore the fishery.” ("http://huntandfishregs.com")
While the cases we went over are just a few of the examples that Utah is dealing
with, there are many of these types of things going on around our beautiful state.
Osieczanek |6
Waters across the state are fighting battles with everything from the Burbot and the
White Bass down to smaller (in size, not problem) invasive species like the Quaagga
mussels and the New Zealand mud snail.
Even something we can’t see with our own eyes is causing abundance of issues.
Whirling Disease is caused by a non-native parasite as seen in the image below.
("http://www.lake-link.com")
My brother and I have come across this disease more than a couple times in our
own fishing experience. We have been able to see the deadly effects of this parasite on
the fish population first hand. Those experiences act as a constant reminder to myself
that these issues are serious.
CONCLUSION
The problems are vast and will continue to grow unless measures are started
now to help combat it. As we revisit some of the tactics that are being employed to fight
this growing problem, we can see that there are multiple options that have been
introduced. We have talked about everything from making it illegal to release these
Osieczanek |7
foreign species if caught, to contemplating a chemical approach, virtually poisoning the
fishery. Our ecosystems are fragile. It can take the tiniest of changes to disrupt the
natural process of everything. As a parent, I want my children to be able to experience
these waters as I have. I can see the problem and it is clear that I need to do my part in
assisting in the prevention or eradication of invasive species in our waters. The task
may seem daunting, taking into consideration the enormity of the issue. We don’t have
to do it all ourselves, but we do need to do something. It can be as little as reporting
someone that you may see illegally plating a foreign species. Even just being aware of
current issues and reporting your own findings of what may be an invasive species.
Being aware and proactive in the fight against the infiltration of these dangerous species
will be a constant issue but we must do our part to maintain the pristine conditions of
our fragile waters.
Osieczanek |8
WORKS CITED
Owen, Graham. http://www.wallpaperfever.com/trout-wallpaper. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Feb
2012. <http://www.wallpaperfever.com/trout-wallpaper/>.
"The Problem." www.asiancarp.us. Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, n.d.
Web. 8 Feb 2012. <http://www.asiancarp.us/problem.htm>
"Burbot captured in Green River." wildlife.utah.gov. State of Utah, 06 OCT 2010. Web. 8
Feb 2012. <http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/news/42-utah-wildlife-news/335-burbot-capturedin-green-river.html>.
"Illegal Stocking: Deer Creek Reservoir."http://huntandfishregs.com. Liberty Press
Publications, 2010. Web. 9 Feb 2012. <http://huntandfishregs.com/ut/850530-288/basscreek-deer-trout.html>.
"Whirling Disease." http://www.lake-link.com. Lake-Link, 2012. Web. 9 Feb 2012.
<http://www.lake-link.com/library/invasive/WhirlingDisease.cfm>.