Goldfish taking over West Medical Lake ponds

MEDICAL LAKE – State-planted trout are competing with goldfish for food in the four West Medical Lake ponds.

As a result, state officials want use Rotenone in the ponds to eradicate the goldfish population.

Although goldfish are the “target species” of the “naturally occurring” poison, Rotenone is highly toxic to all “gill-breathing organisms, state documents on its use show.

Before poisoning the ponds – formed with the water level in West Medical Lake declines in warmer months – the state Department of Fish and Wildlife wants to hear from residents and local fishermen.

The agency will be hosting an online meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, to discuss the use of Rotenone here and in five other lakes in Eastern Washington, including William’s Lake north of Colville, and June, Canal and the Windmill lakes in Grant County.

“These waters will be treated with the goal of restoring popular trout fisheries by removing goldfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, bluegill sunfish, yellow perch and other competitive species detrimental to trout growth,” warmwater fish program manager Kenneth Behen said. “These fish compete with and sometimes prey on stocked trout fry, rendering our trout stocking efforts ineffective.”

Despite the plan to use Rotenone in the West Medical Lake ponds, the agency does not intend to restock them with trout, state documents show.

State officials said the poison won’t affect land-based wildlife and will only have temporary negative effects on aquatic species other than fish.

Despite the disclaimer, the state said it will provide drinking water for residents who use West Medical Lake water for drinking or irrigation during the time when the Rotenone is considered toxic.

To access the meeting, local residents and fishermen can use Microsoft Teams or call 564-999-2000 and entering conference identification number 130941 180#,.

Public comment will be accepted through 5 p.m. June 23; comments can be submitted by emailing [email protected] or via mail to Kenneth Behen, State Department of Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 43200, Olympia, WA 98504-3200. 

Agency Director Kelly Susewind is expected to make a decision on poisoning the local ponds and the other lakes in late June after reviewing public comments.

If approved, Rotenone would be applied to the ponds in the fall when water level is at its lowest in the ponds in an effort to prevent it from affecting fish in West Medical Lake, officials said.