Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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Pesky, oversized goldfish are causing problems in Minnesota.

Authorities in Burnsville, Minn., have urged residents and owners of pet goldfish, not to dispose of the family pet in lakes and ponds. The city tweeted a warning that doing so has resulted in the take over of one local lake by overgrown goldfish.

"They grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants," authorities wrote on Twitter. "Groups of these large goldfish were recently found in Keller Lake."

It's not the first time Minnesota lakes became overrun with oversized goldfish.

wildlife officials found thousands of goldfish

 swimming in Big Woods Lake in Chaska, a suburb of Minneapolis. A team had to remove a truckload of 500,000 of the goldfish, due to environmental issues caused by the fish.

Thousands of goldfish removed from Twin Cities lake

Minnesota DNR blames illegal goldfish release for virus that killed carp

The problem has cropped up in Boulder, Colo., and 

The act of dumping unwanted goldfish into a local pond is actually illegal in most states, including in Minnesota where the problem has recently cropped up.

It's considered "illegal fish stocking," and it has turned up in every corner of Minnesota, as laid out 

 in “Minnesota Conservation Volunteer,” a magazine from the state's Department of Natural Resources. Such fish stocking upsets the balance of existing natural, fish communities and spreads disease, the piece pointed out. 

Goldfish are considered invasive species that uproot underwater plants and compete with native fish for food and shelter. Speedy reproducers, the fish live up to 25 years, and are a real pain to remove, 

according to Carver County, Minn., officials. 

If you're a pet owner and realized a decades-long commitment with your goldfish is not what you had in mind, the 

 recommends putting Goldie up for adoption. Another alternative is to contact a local veterinarian or pet retailer to find ways to humanely dispose of the fish, without causing harm to native fish species in your local neighborhood.  

Environmental News

Water

Jaclyn Diaz

Author

Burnsville, Minn., officials have urged residents and owners of pet goldfish not to dispose of them in local lakes, warning doing so causes major environmental impacts.

Oversized goldfish are taking over a Burnsville lake, causing issues for local fish

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