GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (WVLT) – Beginning on the second Monday of September, one fish population in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is doomed.

Wildlife officials will start using a special chemical to kill off the Rainbow and Brown varieties of trout. The eight mile stretch of the Little River they currently live in is known as the Lynn Camp Prong and located near Tremont.

According to park officials, both types of trout were introduced to the park by loggers in the early 20th century. Over the last one hundred years, both have managed to overtake the native Brook trout.

"For whatever reason they just do not exist together, and nobody really knows why," said Steve Moore, a fishery biologist supervisor. "We created some of our own problems, so now we're trying to correct them as much as we can."

To do so, the National Park Service is set to reintroduce the population of native Brook trout. On September 8th, park fisheries experts will add Antimycin to the waters around the Lynn Camp Prong. The chemical compound is deadly to fish, but has no effect on other aquatic life. After the Rainbow and Brown trout have been killed, park officials will add a counteragent to neutralize the Antimycin. Finally, they will start introducing the native fish back to the area.

"Eventually we will have the largest section of Brook trout in this park, and perhaps the Southeast,” said Moore.

The repopulation project is expected to take several years. While it is conducted, the park will close off all fishing around the stream. In spite of the fishing ban, many anglers said they were happy to make the sacrifice, believing it will be worth it to have such an easily accessible location to catch the trout.

“I think because of where that stream is located, it's going to be easier for people to fish, especially older people," said Byron Begley, owner of Litter River Outfitters and an avid fisherman who believes the public will never again have to go above 3,500 feet in the park to catch the native Brook trout.

Park officials hope to finish killing off the Rainbow and Brown trout populations within two weeks of adding Antimycin to the water. The Lynn Camp Prong stretch of river will also be closed to boats while during that time.

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is 814 square miles. In order to completely finish the Brook trout restoration project, Moore said the processes would have to be repeated in up to seven of the parks other streams.