What's next for Saratoga Lake?

From this fall to next spring, anglers will find Saratoga Lake devoid of any fish due to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s (WGFD) decision to use Rotenone to eradicate illegally introduced yellow perch. 

On June 9, WGFD held a public meeting at the Platte Valley Community Center (PVCC) regarding their decision. While some anglers may enjoy fishing and eating yellow perch, WGFD is wary of the potential ecological impacts the perch may pose to the lake. 

Introduced into Saratoga Lake illegally, the perch pose a severe risk to the trout population as these two species compete for food resources. This competition leads to resource scarcity for both populations, resulting in an overall decrease in fish size, and thus, a symmetrical decrease in the desirability of angling. 

Regarding the potential severity of having yellow perch introduced, Alan Osterland, WGFD Chief of Fisheries, said, “folks don’t understand the ramifications.” 

Similarly, Game and Fish is concerned about the potential impacts of yellow perch on surrounding aquatic ecosystems if they were to leave Saratoga Lake. 

“The problem in this situation is if they end up in the North Platte, they [yellow perch] could go all the way down the water shed,” said Osterland.  

For this reason, the inflow and outflow to the Lake were closed in February, thus containing the populations of yellow perch and trout alike. 

The introduction of yellow perch into Saratoga Lake poses not only angling problems, but ecological problems as well. At the public hearing, Chance Kirkeeng, WGFD Laramie Region Fisheries Biologist, presented the different options for addressing the yellow perch problem. 

One tactic which could be used is infiltration galleries or screening, which essentially allows water to continue flowing while confining the fish to the lake. Unfortunately, this is a very expensive tactic and requires continual maintenance. Above all, it doesn’t seek to address the issue of yellow perch in Saratoga Lake. Another tactic is known as dewatering which, true to its title, drains the body of water.. This tactic could potentially introduce yellow perch into the North Platte, violating the other WGFD vision by introducing an invasive and competitive species into a far larger aquatic ecosystem. This left WGFD with one final, logical option: Rotenone. 

Derived from the roots of plants in the legume family, it operates as a piscicide. According to the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC), this process occurs by, “inhibiting cellular respiration and the ability of fish to use dissolved oxygen” (Wynne & Masser, 2010). Essentially, this causes the fish to suffocate without depleting the actual dissolved oxygen content of the water. Rotenone effects all gilled creatures including invertebrates and amphibians, but Kirkeeng assured those attending the hearing that due to the time of year and stages of their respective lifecycles, many of these creatures will be through their gill stages, making it unlikely invertebrates or amphibians will be heavily impacted by the Rotenone treatment. Additionally, Rotenone does not impact fish eggs, making the selection time of treatment imperative to its success. For this reason, WGFD plans to apply the Rotenone treatment in September, outside of the reproductive season of yellow perch. While toxic to gilled creatures, WGFD said it will have no impact on people or pets, aside from the temporary loss of a beloved fishery. As a natural product, Rotenone is a rapidly degrading biotoxin, meaning once treatment is complete, the recovery time of Saratoga Lake’s quality will be relatively short, allowing WGFD to confidently state the lake will be back to normal in less than a year.

What to Expect Moving Forward 

While the WGFD moves forward with the Rotenone treatment plan, lovers of Saratoga Lake may be wondering what to expect in the coming months. During the public hearing, WGFD gave a short list of things to be aware of as the lake faces its fate. 

Firstly, WGFD is very optimistic about the production of the fishery once it is restocked after treatment. A study done of the lake in 2021 showed trout size was exceeding expectation, with the average trout size being 17.3 inches and over 60 percent of trout being greater than 16 inches. WGFD sees no reason these numbers can’t return, especially after Rotenone treatment, as it will eliminate suckers and yellow perch from competing with the trout. The WGFD plans to restock the lake with rainbow, brown and tiger trout  making for a diverse fishing experience for the avid trout angler. 

Unfortunately, the Rotenone project will seriously impact one of Saratoga’s greatest traditions, the annual ice fishing derby, which would have been celebrating its 40th anniversary. This is not just a blow to Saratoga’s culture, it is also a blow to its economy. The Saratoga Sun sat down with Amanda Knotwell, CEO of the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (S/PVCC), who summed up the loss of the derby as “a hit on Saratoga.” However bleak this reality, Knotwell supports the WGFD decision and trusts their professional judgment, especially when looking at the potential large-scale impacts if left undone. 

During the hearing on Thursday, during an anonymous Q&A, it was asked if the WGFD needed financial assistance in accomplishing the Rotenone project. Kirkeeng was quick to advise those seeking to give financially to do so, but to direct it towards the S/PVCC instead of WGFD to hopefully mitigate some of the economic impacts felt from the loss of the derby. 

WGFD also projects the lake levels will continue to fall throughout the summer, due to the inflow being shut, likely leading to a much more prevalent bloom of cyanobacteria over the summer. 

Overall, Saratoga Lake is going to transform this summer and locals and visitors may not like what they see. The whole ordeal is an unfortunate lesson in the dangers of illegal introduction of fish species in Wyoming. During the hearing, WGFD called this illegal introduction a “selfish act,” as everyone is now forced to face the consequences. 

Anyone with information about who introduced the yellow perch into Saratoga Lake is encouraged to contact WGFD. Additionally, WGFD is planning to upload a recording of the public hearing to their website within the next few weeks.