Meet the underwater gardeners that scrub Imperial County’s water canals
As summer approaches, the Imperial Irrigation District is gearing up for another battle with the weeds that infest its canals. To do that, the regional water agency is calling in reinforcements: a small army of plant-munching fish. Water weeds are a common problem for many irrigation districts, since shallow canals and clear water create a welcoming environment for aquatic plant life. The weeds regularly clog up the system of gates and channels that ferry water to farms throughout Imperial County.