Carp may actually benefit Utah Lake

PROVO (AP) — A forthcoming report suggests the presence of millions of carp in Utah Lake may not be as bad as once thought.

The report says phosphorus levels in the lake could be much higher than originally appreciated. That's a problem because phosphorus acts as a fertilizer for algae blooms in the late summer and fall, which are lethal to much of the lake's ecology.

The report suggests millions of carp in the lake stir up mud on the bottom, making the water cloudy enough to prevent the sun from shining on algae and growing it to lethal proportions.

A spokesman for the Utah Division of Water Quality says the report should be completed sometime this month.