Invasive Species — Saddle Lake
By Contributor
In 2014 the Boundary Invasive Species Society surveyed many of the lakes as well as the rivers in the Boundary.
We were looking for invasive aquatic plants.
We were also keeping a look out for invasive fish.
One of the lakes we surveyed was Saddle Lake in the Grand Forks area. At the time of the survey, the lake was full of goldfish.
One underwater photo showed 22 goldfish in one image! In the past few years there have not been any reports of goldfish being found in the lake. This may be due to the cold winter we had in 2018. However, this spring reports have come in about goldfish in Saddle Lake again. This is such disappointing news.
Saddle Lake is home to endangered Tiger Salamanders and threatened Great Basin Spadefoot Toads. Their numbers have dropped dangerously low as the goldfish have fed on their eggs and tadpoles over the years. Dumping your unwanted pets, no matter what kind they are, is wrong. They can spread disease. They can take over an ecosystem and change the biodiversity. They can impact human health. They can harm the economy. The abandoned pets that do not become a problem often suffer and die.
If you can no longer care for your pet, there are plenty of options. You can try and find it a new home, take it to the SPCA, or return it to the store or breeder you bought it from. Don’t Let It Loose. You may think you are doing your unwanted pet a favour by releasing it into the wild but its not the right thing to do. Y
ou should also never dump your aquarium contents into rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, or storm drains.
Many aquarium plants are not native to Canada and they can also become invasive. For more information on invasive species, check out our website www.boundaryinvasives.com. You can also contact us at info@boundaryinvasivs.com, 250-446-2232 and on Facebook.
Jen Haynes is the Education Coordinator for the Boundary Invasive Species Society and can be reached at www.boundaryinvasives.com or 250-446-2232.
