Nebraska Game and Parks chemically bombs Wagon Train Lake

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The existing fish population at Wagon Train Lake was completely wiped out Wednesday morning.

Undesired species are now taking over the lake including common carp, white perch and gizzard shad. These types of fish have started to out-compete desired species, causing the habitat and water quality to decline.

The state recreation area is outside of Lincoln, about two miles east of Hickman.

This renovation is not the first time this lake has needed improvements. It is at least the third time, according to Nebraska Game and Parks. The last time work was done was over 20 years ago.

“We’re making some modification to those dikes, so they’ll last at least another 20 years,” said Daryl Bauer, Nebraska Game and Parks Fisheries Outreach Program Manager. “When we have the water down, it’s a perfect time to do this renovation.”

Rotenone is the chemical being released into the waters of the lake. It is derived from the root of a plant from the Amazon rainforest.

“It’s a natural chemical, of course, we use a lot of it,” Bauer said. “It works by inhibiting the uptake of oxygen into the bloodstream at the cellular level, so it doesn’t really just cover the gills of the fish and suffocate them. It’s a biochemistry thing where it inhibits them from absorbing oxygen into their blood.”

There are benefits to releasing the chemicals now with warm weather, fishery experts say. The chemical will detoxify and fish will decay faster in hot temperatures, allowing crews to move faster in the project.

As for when the lake will be back to normal for recreational use, it’ll depend on the weather.

“We all know living in Nebraska, you get the right thunderstorm in the right place, it can be full by tomorrow morning,” Bauer said. “I don’t want to be sarcastic when I say that, but we’re at the whims on Mother Nature and how fast it’ll fill. In a normal time period, I’d expect next spring, next year, we’ll be getting back close to full again. But you know, it’s been dry for the last few months, so we’ll wait and see.”

The fish renovation is part of a larger, ongoing aquatic habitat project at the lake.

It is focused on replacing part of the boat ramp and dock, constructing underwater fish habitats and other sediment work around the lake.

By fall, the lake will be restocked from the five fisheries in Nebraska. Fingerling largemouth bass and bluegill will be prioritized first, with channel catfish and others to come in future stockings.