CHASKA, Minn — At Chaska's Big Woods Lake, Jeff and Karen enjoy the usual sights and sounds. But lately they're noticing something different.
Something orange is in the water.
"It's gotten more and more," said Karen.
Thousands of invasive goldfish are in Chaska’s chain of lakes and Carver County Water Management leaders believe they were dumped there.
"Probably people released some pets, males found a female and now this is what we have," said Andrew Dickhart with Water Management.
Dickhart says it's illegal to dump unwanted invasive goldfish into any Minnesota water body.
"Do really well in this kind of water," said Dickhart. "Pretty alarming when we see them in high numbers."
Andrew and Megan Weber with the University of Minnesota are teaming up trying to figure out how to get the goldfish out, as they're worried about the impacts.
"Quite damaging," said Weber.
"Stirring up a lot of sediment, uprooting a lot of aquatic vegetation," said Dickhart.
There are ways to get rid of your unwanted goldfish instead of just dumping them in your local lake, river or creek.
"Find them a new home. Donate them or bring them to a surrender event," said Dickhart.
The Minnesota Aquarium Society will be holding a surrender event this Saturday for unwanted fish at the Lutheran Church of Redemption in Bloomington. The event starts at 11 a.m.
