Grass Carp for Golf Courses

Carpe Weedem

It was a rather obscure film that made its debut at the famous film festival, Sundown. The directors of Dead Weed Society knew they had a winner when the audience of predominately aquatic weed managers left the movie theater repeating one of the lines from the movie, “Carpe Weedem.” Carpe Weedem, of course, is Latin for “Seize the Weed.” Who knew that “Seize the Weed” would be one of the most popular phrases used in the industry to date?

There hasn’t been a boatload of publicity about the sterile carp program since the legislation was passed statewide in 2000. The program, designed as another tool for vegetation management in aquatic settings, has not been as well received throughout the state. However, there have been some golf courses that have persevered and obtained the necessary permits to have the triploid grass carp on their courses. Of the 1,000 plus golf courses in the state, about 70 courses have applied to the program.

Marty Muschinske, state coordinator of the Triploid Grass Carp program for the California Department of Fish and Game, outlined a number of the issues pertaining to golf courses getting triploid grass carp for aquatic weed management. The process may seem a little overwhelming for some golf courses at first, but for those golf courses that have stepped forward and gone through the red tape, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Once the State Coordinator receives an application for stocking triploid grass carp, the application is forwarded to an area fisheries biologist for review. The biologist conducts a site review to validate the information that was given on the stocking permit. This visit determines if the golf course and stocking permit will be a good fit.

The biologists have a list and check off items such as proper weed identification, determining if there is a connection between upstream and downstream waters on the golf course, carrying capacity of fish for the ponds and water quality of the ponds. Stocking triploid grass carp is not high on the DFG priority list, so frequently these reviews get pushed to the back burner. Frequently, golf courses need to make improvements to the stocking site in order for the permit to be granted.

Two of the biggest fears the DFG have about triploid grass carp are fish escaping the stocked waters (ponds) and grass carp being deliberately introduced into natural waters. The introduction of a non-native species into a native environment can wreak havoc on existing species. No permit can be issued for ponds in the FEMA 100-year flood plain.

The Department of Fish and Game requires all grass carp used in the program to be sterile. There is only one supplier in the state who has been approved for producing sterile grass carp. Imperial Irrigation District has established a fish hatchery, which is also under the supervision of DFG. The genetic material for all the fish produced is tested twice.

Each fish is tested for sterility shortly after they are hatched and again prior to being shipped to a stocking site. If a fish is found to have normal fertile genetic material, it is immediately destroyed. In addition to the genetic testing, each fish is PIT tagged for identification in case of theft or the event of an escape from the stocked site.

The initial fee for each fish is $15. Some golf courses have used a trucking service to deliver the fish, but many courses have used next day air services to get the fish delivered in a timely fashion. This obviously increases the cost of the fish. To have an 8-10 inch aquatic weed-eater delivered, the out the door cost can be close to $35 a fish.

Many golf courses in Northern California have gone through the paperwork and inspection. Two examples are Del Paso CC in Sacramento and Woodbridge CC in Lodi. Jessie Creencia, CGCS, at Del Paso CC obtained a permit for 18 fish while Jim Husting, CGCS, at Woodbridge was granted a permit for 32 fish. Both superintendents have seen big reductions in their respective weed populations and improved pond clarity. The superintendents are believers and are now self-proclaimed Carp Ambassadors.

The California GCSA has been instrumental in getting this legislation passed and having this program available to California golf courses. To obtain an online application for stocking triploid grass carp, go to the California GCSA website www.gcsaa.org/cgcsa and click on the “Environmental Issues” link. Some procedural changes for streamlining the application process are forthcoming. A word of wisdom for those who are interested in the program; courses need to use the program or the DFG might drop it all together.

Some helpful hints for getting through the application process as quickly as possible: send in the application early in the calendar year. The best-case scenario for submitting and obtaining a sterile grass carp permit would be 30 days. However, rose-colored glasses are not included and a four-month wait is more realistic. For questions about the triploid grass carp program, contact Marty Muschinske at 619/468-3064. And remember to “Seize the Weed.”