I have a large pond in my front yard that is the home to many fish, frogs, muskrats, and many others. There are several types of birds, deer, foxes, and many others that use my pond for a water source. I am interested in keeping my pond clean of certain over growing plant life and would like to purchase something like a grass carp to eat the top layer of plant life from over growing. I do not want anything chemical related because of all the animals that use the pond. I live in Kendall county and have been trying to get information on a place that is safe to purchase these fish and most importantly do not disrupt the current wildlife.

This response was provided by Dave Shiley, University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources Management Educator.

Grass carp are a biological control option for some types of aquatic vegetation; however, grass carp will not control algae and many other species of aquatic vegetation. The booklet - Aquatic Plants: their identification and management, explains the use of grass carp, as well as other aquatic vegetation management options. This publication can be found at the following website. http://www.ifishillinois.org/programs/Urban/Lake_Plant_Mgmt.html Let me know if you have further questions.