(SOUTHFIELD, Mich.) – The city of Southfield, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, recently released more than 14,000 native game fish species into Carpenter Lake as part of the lake restoration project that began in 2004.
Funded with grants from the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Michigan, the restoration is part of a joint effort coordinated by the Southfield Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments to develop the 42-acre site as a nature preserve. Once completed, the project will restore the lake to a sustainable fish and wildlife habitat with improved water quality and storm water management.
The fish released included various species of largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, sunfish and minnows, while nuisance and exotic fish species were removed because of their tendency to overpopulate and negatively impact the game fish population. A fish stocking plan was developed to limit the re-establishment of nuisance and exotic fish and to provide a unique recreational fishery in an urban setting. Planted fish sizes range from three to nine inches and must survive one to two full growing seasons to develop a population large enough to support recreational angling. Scheduled to open in spring 2008, the newly established fishery is projected to reach its population objectives in two to three years at which point the public will be able to enjoy fishing in the lake. Call (248) 796-4618 for further information.