Starting today (Monday, October 16th), The Town of Sylvan Lake, along with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, will be draining the Lakeway Landing Storm Pond in the West area of town.

The reason for draining the pond is to rid it of invasive species such as goldfish. If left in the pond, these goldfish can have severe and detrimental effects on native aquatic life and water quality. It's not the first time this work has been done as residents have released goldfish into the pond in the past. In July, there were reports of Prussian Carp fish possibly breeding in Sylvan Lake.

The first step of the project is to remove some overgrowth, then the water level in the pond will be pumped down. Once this is accomplished, the goldfish will be netted by boat. The final step is to remove the remaining goldfish eggs from the sludge and silt, once the frost sets.

You are asked to never release any kind of non-native fish into area waterways.

The work is expected to be finished by November 2nd. Residents are asked to follow the signage and barriers around the area.

photo of pond