CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Soil and Water Conservation District is offering Triploid Grass Carp for sale.

The fish are considered a great alternative to mechanical or chemical pond weed control.

They eat a wide variety of aquatic plant species and can eat their weight in vegetation every day.

They commonly reach weights in excess of 25 pounds and have been known to live as long as 10 years.

Triploid Grass Carp are sterile, will not reproduce.

The carp don’t work overnight and they won’t make your pond look like a swimming pool, but they can make a difference.

Carp will not eat all aquatic plant species, but some pond plants are necessary for spawning, food, and cover.

Grass carp are related to common carp and goldfish, but they don’t share the same bottom feeding habits.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) stocking permits are required before fish can be ordered.

A fully completed permit application should be submitted to the DEC by May 6 to meet a tentative SWCD June 3 delivery date.

For more information or for an order form and a DEC permit application, please phone the SWCD at 386-3582 or stop by the office at 1942 Old DeKalb Road, Canton, NY 13617.

Information is also available on the web at www.slcswcd.org.