Today's Wall Street Journal ran a prominent story on the extraordinary efforts being taken by state and federal agencies to keep carp out of Lake Michigan. We at the Conservancy are in a quandary about what to do about the carp that are on the preserves here in the Natomas Basin. This year, we pulled a 36-inch, 22.5-pound carp out of the managed marsh on the Betts tract.

They are said to be omnivores and detritivores. On the BKS preserve, they are responsible for, at a minimum, muddying the waters on the marsh complexes. They work in the shallows and their tails are constantly sweeping back and forth, stirring up mud. Some reports say that they displace up to 90 percent of all other fish when they get a good hold. We're sure they don't eat giant garter snakes. But wonder about neonates that are sized more like worms. And that carp may consume oxygen-producing aquatic plants that deprive other aquatic life of habitat. We're keeping an eye on these guys, and will see if they have an impact on the HCP's covered species. So far, the numbers of the aquatic giant garter snakes in these carp-infested preserves do not seem to be impacted. It will be interesting to see what happens. add text here.