Carp find their way onto golf course

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) - Parts of western New York are still drying out from a weekend of record rainfall. As strange as it might seem, carp have found their way onto the golf course. It's driving home the fact that we experienced an extraordinary weather event over the weekend.

Fish are spawning on the 13th and 14th holes of the Brighton Park Golf Course in the Town of Tonawanda.

Town of Tonawanda Recreation Supervisor Jeff Rainer stated, "Right now we're sort of watching in amazement."

Underneath the fairway, there's a culvert leading from Ellicott Creek to the golf course. There are supposed to be pools of water created after a major rainfall as a means of flood control. But the system was not created to carry fish onto the golf course.

"We've had probably 50 to 70 carp come back up from Ellicott Creek onto the golf course and are in the process of spawning on Brighton Golf Course right now," explained Rainey.

The fish are surviving for now in the flood-made ponds, for the most part.

John Occhipinti said, "We saw a dead one a couple of holes ago. We were wondering how it got there, if somebody brought it there as a joke because it was so big. I don't think a bird could have carried it that far. Then now to see these fish here alive and swimming around, never seen anything like it here."

The DEC has been alerted, but as the clock is ticking before the ponds dry up, parks maintenance workers may have to stage a rescue. But there are pitfalls.

Park maintenance worker Jack Seitz said, "It gets a little bit deep. It gets a little bit deep kind of quick. Plus, I was sinking in the mud."

Over in Buffalo, here's another sight you don't see very often. Hoyt Lake overflowed its banks from the record 2.19 inches of rainfall early Sunday morning. It was fed by the Scajaquada Drain, which by design will spill into the lake during extraordinary rainfalls.

Buffalo City Engineer Peter Merlo said, "If it doesn't allow us to go into the lake, where does it go? Down the S-turns, into another neighborhood that's maybe at a lower level."

There is some concern that sewage or other contaminants may have been introduced to the lake. The city says it will test the water to determine its level of safety.