SunBird Golf Club recently purchased and released a bounty of tiny tilapia and amur (grass carp) fish, anticipating that the fingerlings will eat their way through algae and aquatic vegetation in the golf course lakes and ponds. We’ve already seen significant improvements in the lake by the clubhouse. Following consultation with AmeriCulture, a fish company that specializes in algae control on golf course lakes, the correct species and numbers of fish were determined, along with recommended distribution. Now that the fish are in their new homes, we hope that they will eat their weight in algae and vegetation, clearing the ponds without the use of chemicals.
Tilapia is a tropical fish, and it typically overwinters well in Arizona. It eats filamentous algae. This tilapia is specifically bred for algae control and will not reproduce exponentially as it does in the wild. White amur eat other aquatic plants, such as the rooted plants that rise to the surface of the lakes. In combination, we expect our ponds and lakes to show significant improvement.
Regarding fish die-off, AmeriCulture advised that oxygen levels in golf course lakes are dramatically impacted by algae. Increased algae levels, shallow lakes, and anything that stirs up the sediment will decrease oxygen needed for fish to live. Last winter, we experienced several bursts of intense rain, which stirred up the sediment on the bottom of our lakes and resulted in a significant number of fish dying. SunBird was only one of several golf courses in the Phoenix area experiencing this rapid die-off. Thank you to our golf course crew for collecting and disposing of the fish. Since then, the City of Chandler has responded to a resident complaint and visited our lakes on numerous occasions to determine compliance with city regulations. In every instance, we have been told that we are well within city code limits for algae growth and fish die-off.
Finally, please remember that fishing is only allowed at the lake by the clubhouse, and please practice catch and release.