Rossville hosts Cleanup Day April 23, bans fishing in duck pond

Another cleanup effort

Rossville is banning fishing in its duck pond, at least temporarily.Mark Harris said filamentous algae and American elodea are both growing in the Rossville Duck Pond. Aquatics Resources and Walker County Extension Agent Norman Edwards came to evaluate the situation.In order to kill the plant growth, aquatic herbicide will be used.“A rescue is helping us catch ducks,” he said. “They will take ducks to Chattanooga Valley ponds. Once our pond is treated, we will bring the ducks back.”Once the herbicide has had time to work, the city will also put 40 triploid grass carp into the pond to act like lawnmowers and keep it down, he explained. Once the plant growth is under control, the city may allow fishing again.“We have to make these restrictions to get it under control,” Harris said. “I have suggested fishing rodeos later on. That way if someone caught the carp, we could make sure it goes back in. No fishing here until our carp clean up the pond.”For the time being, adults caught fishing and the parents of minors caught fishing in the pond will be cited, which comes with a $141 fine.“It will take at least six weeks to treat with chemicals,” Harris said, explaining that, “When the sunlight goes down, it hits the bottom of the pond and the seedlings that fall off elodea feed off the sunlight and it grows quicker.” He said the mild winter allowed it all to continue growing instead of dying off.