So, have you met goldfish, or other fish species with names like Goldy, Fin, or Pumpkin? If not, what about the other names ...

If you think you're doing the goldfish a favor by releasing it, you're not! Instead, you're setting the stage for an ecological disaster, which could threaten hundreds of other species.

"The number and size of the goldfish that had to be removed really shows why this species is such a challenge when released to nature," Campbell River utilities operations manager Steve Roehr said.

During a recent water quality check, a Carver County Water Management Organization staff member encountered swarms of gold and black fish in the water of the Grace Chain of Lakes in north Chaska.