Thousands of fish stocked in SRP canals to clear vegetation
Feb 21, 2022, 6:30 AM | Updated: 8:53 am
(Photo provided by the Salt River Project)
(Photo provided by the Salt River Project)
PHOENIX — About 12,000 White Amur fish were put into Salt River Project canals this week as a way to keep the canals clean and operating efficiently, authorities said.
The White Amur Fish Program was launched in 1989 in an effort to keep algae and weeds from building up and to effectively ensure water deliveries to about 2.5 million Valley residents, officials said.
There are around 44,000 fish living in the canals, a large increase from the 1,800 fish originally placed in the canal more than three decades ago, SRP said.
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Previously, SRP officials scraped canal beds with heavy chains to uproot plants, scooped out vegetation with backhoes and applied herbicides.
The program saves the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual operating costs, SRP said.
While fishing is allowed on the canals, removing the White Amur fish remains illegal.
