Workers on Tuesday

Workers on Tuesday last week were spotted preparing the old swimming hole for Rotenone, a natural pesticide, that was to be applied the following day. The boat went inch by inch around the lake, scooping up algae and good fish. On Wednesday, the broad-spectrum insecticide was applied to kill off aquatic vegetation, and any undesirable fish remaining. Rotenone is a valuable tool in fish management across the United States. When undesirable fish overpopulate a lake or pond, the fishing is poor, and treatment to eradicate the fish and control disease is essential for its restoration. The Rotenone treatment was paid for by Keno funds and is applied only in the fall because water flow and levels are lower. Recreational use of the small pond has been down for years, and the hope is that the Rotenone process, followed by a dredging of the lake, will revive the old site, and make it useful as a fishing lake again for the youth of Bridgeport.