Biological Survey — Erie-Niagara Watershed 209 



lation of a policy for the control of carp in the waterways of the 

 State. 



Carp Habitats. — Lake carp are communal fish, congregating in 

 numbers Avherever the natural conditions are most favorable. It 

 has long been known that carp frequent different habitats through- 

 out the year. Investigations made in Oneida lake show that carp, 

 early in April, migrated to the submerged lowlands and swamps 

 where they wandered about in detached groups for several weeks. 

 With the appearance of warm weather (middle of May) the fish 

 assembled in schools along the shores of the lake where the water 

 was shallow and dense-leaved pondweeds were growing. Here they 

 spawned. During the summer and fall, although carp were found 

 more or less common in the shallow waters throughout Oneida 

 lake, there were only a few places where this fish congregated 

 regularly and in large numbers. Listed in the order of their im- 

 portance these carp grounds are: Fisher's bay, Upper South bay, 

 including Verona beach, North bay, Lakeport and Shaw's bay. 

 Each is a shallow bay, having abundant groAvths of weeds (Pota- 

 mogetons, Vallisneria and Scirpus), a mud or sand bottom and is 

 easily accessible to deep water. 



In Onondaga lake carp are found chiefl}^ near the western end 

 where feeding grounds are available. Cross lake has several ex- 

 cellent carp habitats — the shoals about Strawberry island and wide 

 submerged flats at both ends of the lake. About lake Neatahwanta 

 are extensive cat-tail marshes which carp inhabit as well as a con- 

 tinuous region of shallow water on the east side covered with weed 

 beds. The conditions in this lake are unusually favorable for 

 carp and they are abundant, but not so numerous as reports would 

 indicate. 



Carp were found inhabiting all the waters of the canal system 

 investigated during the past summer.* This waterway consists 

 of canalized rivers and creeks with numerous excavations. The 

 channel averages from ninety to three hundred feet wide with a 

 minimum depth of twelve feet. The channel banks, normall}^ steep 

 with a narrow fringe of shallow Avater, occasionally slope shore- 

 ward in a gradual incline terminating in a deep bay or marsh. 

 From Utica to Ncav London much of the canal has been excavated 

 and the shores are for the most part uniformly steep and narroAv, 

 while west of Lock 23 (Brewerton) the canalizing of the Oneida, 

 Seneca and OsAvego riA^ers has produced a very irregular shore 

 line, marked by many inlets and outlets, marsh lands and border- 

 ing regions of shallow water AA^hich support luxuriant groAvths of 

 aquatic plants. Canal carp liA^e primarily in the channel proper. 

 Their abundance is commensurate Avith the availability of natural 

 feeding grounds, irrespectiA^e of other prcA^ailing conditions as, 

 pollution, current, AAddtli of canal, presence of inlets and outlets. 



* A forty-pound carp caught on a line by George Flint was taken near the Monte- 

 zuma bridge. This is one of the largest specimens taken during the two seasons of 

 carp control work. 



