In a nutrient-rich muddy soup at Lake Tuggeranong catchment volunteers caught two feral fish which they described as the dumbest carp and redfin left when authorities drained their pond.
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The pond is the stretch of water near the new Southquay Greenway, the ACT Government's proposed foreshore development.
Developers have shelled out $9 million for two blocks of land. The mix of units and shops will include a boardwalk, and before building could start, water had to be drained near the lake's edge.
Southern ACT Catchment Group co-ordinator Martin Lind says three huge pumps started draining the area recently but it was refilling faster than it drained.
Apparently the slightest rain causes the shallow pond to quickly refill, plus a gate on a weir was left open while the pumps were running.
An ecologist and fish transfer system were in place to take any native fish out and move them to a safer location.
"The catchment group asked for any pest species which may have been caught," says Lind. "We got one carp and redfin.
"We were quite surprised we didn't get as many carp as were expected. All the carp managed to escape the exclusion netting before we got there," says Lind.
As soon as the level began dropping, all the quick fish cleared out "leaving one dumb carp, and its dumb redfin offsider", says Lind.
"We know there are oriental weather loach, an aquarium fish, you would not get them with a gill net, they are almost like an eel."
Lind says pest fish golden perch and Murray cod have been previously released, but none were found when the water drained away.
Tuggeranong Lake Carers volunteers in gumboots plodded through the muddy bed and picked up 30 bags of rubbish, and a gear box over two days.
Lind has a view many cynics will share about fishers too slack to take their garbage home with them.
"It's a favourite fishing spot, so rather than take your beer bottles home, you throw them in the lake. Lots and lots bottles, cans, cans of corn, plastic rubbish."
Lind predicts a better summer for lake quality, despite the explosion of nutrients feeding algae.
"But don't hold me to it. We had four or five months of blooms through to late autumn last year, it will be interesting to see if we get the same level of blooms."
The catchment group is grateful Lake Tuggeranong is one of six key catchment areas in the ACT being considered for funding for wetlands to manage inflows.
Tuggeranong Lake Carers convenor Glenys Patulny says a 3000-signature petition has been given to the ACT Legislative Assembly to keep the pressure on for wetlands to help clean up the waterway.
