DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is using a pesticide to eliminate fish from a Des Moines lake as part of a decade-long effort to improve the waterway. The Des Moines Register reports that rotenone was applied Tuesday to the south side of Easter Lake to remove common carp and gizzard shad. A department release says residents and animals should avoid contact with the water during treatment. It will take a couple days for the chemical to dissolve into flowing streams, and possibly weeks to dissolve in nearby ponds and the main lake. The release says public areas will be closed until further notice.

Mark Flammang is a DNR fisheries management biologist. He disputed concerns last month regarding studies that linked the pesticide to Parkinson’s Disease. Flammang says more research indicates rotenone is safe.