Columbia

Fish in Lagoon

Columbia, Illinois Releases Fish Into Lagoon

We released native species fish (Bluegills, Fathead Minnows, and Triploid Grass Carp) into our lagoons on April 24, 2007 to show how higher life forms can survive and consume waste the "natural way".

Completing the "food-chain" is part of the engineering design for wastewater treatment in lagoons by Air Diffusion Systems. Every pound of fish growth is a pound of waste processed- starting with bacteria, then rotifers and crustaceans and finally fish, harvesting snails, worms, and other aquatic life in the aerated lagoon system. After all, we are not feeding them anything, and they grow like crazy.

Should they escape into the Mississippi River, we are restocking the waters with native species. Below are a few photos of this event and, remember, fish are a great indicator of the health of the lagoons.

Bluegills
Bluegills are 2 to 4 inches and will grow to 8 to 10 inches within a year.

Carp
Fathead Minnows are about 100 to 150 fish per pound of weight.

Minnows
8" to 10" Grass Carp are Triploid Species which means they cannot reproduce.