Aquitic Plant Management Meeting

[Sea Larry]

On December 18, 2007, I attended the Aquatic Plant Management meeting for the Kissimee Chain of Lakes in St. Cloud at the Osceola County Extension office.

21 people attended from various state and county government agencys. Fish and Wildlife Commission, Bureau of Invasive Plant Management, and myself, from UW-F.

The meeting was conducted by Ed Harris from the FDEP Bureau of Invasive Plant Management. The first part of the meeting covered old business concerning the completion of sprarying Hydrilla on Lake Jackson in Osceola County and the test sites on Lake Jackson. This data would be used to complete a plan to spray Lake Cypress.

Finally, we started a plan for Lake Toho. (Water Fowlers would support this).Most of the lake would not be sprayed to This would improve navigation. Goblets Cove would be treated to maintain water flow from West Lake into East Lake. The South Cove would be treated to allow water flow out of East Lake. West Lake Toho would be treated after duck season and the BASS Toho Tournament. The areas of the lake holding the majority of wintering waterfowl would not be treated. See additonal post.

[N. Cook]

Larry.... Thanks for representing UW-F at this meeting, David has attended some and I have attended some, but they seem to be a bad times for us and it is great to have someone like yourself who knows the area to be there for the duck hunters....

Just being there keeps them thinking about when and where they should be spraying so as not to destroy good duck and fish habitat....they know we are watching!

There is a lot going on with the Kiss. system and spraying....I am working with the SFWMD to have a parameter established for submerged vegetation. I also have been promised by the Deputy Director of the FDEP that we (UW-F)will have a meeting in Tallahassee with the State managers of vegetation control. Our aim is a minimum of 30 percent submerged vegetation in the entire system. This will cleanse the water going into Lake Okeechobee and create needed littoral zones for the fish and food for the waterfowl.

Thanks again for helping make this happen.

[whistlingwings]

What about the degradation of hunting areas by the Aquatic Plant Management programs in the rest of the state? When is UW going to step forward and "voice" our concern for the other rivers and lakes that do not drain into Lake Okeechobee? :confused:

[Kevin Hall]

...I also have been promised by the Deputy Director of the FDEP that we (UW-F)will have a meeting in Tallahassee with the State managers of vegetation control.


That's for the entire state ... since it is with FDEP "HQ". :)

[whistlingwings]

will have a meeting in Tallahassee with the State managers of vegetation control. Our aim is a minimum of 30 percent submerged vegetation in the entire system. This will cleanse the water going into Lake Okeechobee .



I did notice the meeting in Tally, but folllowed by the statement that this will cleanse the water in to Okee.

Whatever either way... Things should be different next year.

[N. Cook]

We have a close relationship with those in charge of the spraying at the SJRWMD...don't always get what we want, but Larry did help us in Mary A....and recognizes our concerns with the ducks.The St. Johns system has not been widely sprayed for hydrilla in some years, but has a terrible problem with willow and cattail monocultures that need spraying and burning.

...A lot of the spraying is in the hands of the FDEP and, as stated we are making progress with them....UW-F was the only "hunting" group with a representative at the FDEP Aquatic Plant Management Seminar held in 2005 for several days in Gainesville which was really our first major conference on the issue.

We also have good relationships with the plant control managers, including the manager Dan Thayer, at the SFWMD, again, not getting all we want, but they have helped us out on the STAs, and we meet with both the District and the USACE for control on the lake, the USACE representative is a UW-F member....Don Fox the FWC biologist for the lake is a special friend of UW-F.

We have a good working relationship, despite a basic disagreement on management methods, with the FDEP's Jeff Schardt in Tallahassee who controls all the FDEP permitting and spraying in the state of Florida.

The Kissimee chain of lakes is the largest drainage basin along with the St. Johns River in Florida and UW-F Regional Directors and members, as well as officers have all been active with the agencies who do the aquatic plant mangement. UW-F was at the Lake Istokpoga Stakeholders meeting in 2006 and has made progress on that lake with the FDEP and FWC and working with the Save our Lakes group.

UW-F has an official HYDRILLA POSITION STATEMENT FOR HYDRILLA SPRAYING that has been widely distributed. We helped Diane Eggeman with the new copy of the WHERE TO HUNT DUCKS IN FLORIDA pamplet which mentions the importance of hydrilla as duck habitat several times.

Anyone not aware of this obviously has not been attending the meetings or working with the agencies.

[whistlingwings]

It'll all be over real soon :icon_thumr

[N. Cook]

I have also been reminded that UW-F has an informal system to help prevent angry phone calls to the agencies by members without first being sure they are warranted.

For a couple of years we have asked members observing spraying and having a concern not to just call up and raise XXXX but to determine who is doing the spraying, what the target is and what the chemical is.....this info is usually posted at the ramp, or you can just ask the applicators.

If you cannot get the info that is ok, but it is helpful.

We have asked that the above info on where the spraying is happening be sent to David Lithgow or myself. We call the agencies and determine what is occuring and report back to the member.

Most of the time, as per the UNITED WATERFOWLERS-FL POSTION STATEMENT ON AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT, the spraying is beneficial...ie water lettuce or other floating vegetation, cattails, willows, torpedo grass, etc....and we thank the agency for improving the ecosystem. Some times it is hydrilla and close or during duck season and we then usually contact the FWC and see if they will support some consideration of the ducks and fish....and the bosses at the FDEP and register our concern.

This has reduced the confrontations with the various agencies and is appreciated by all.

[Sea Larry]

We have made progress in all river systems an examble is Lake Woodruff. On the St. Johns river systems.
The current plan is to spray the center of the lake. Leaving the outside
shore line as it is. We are making a lot of friends in the State.
Thanks to Everyone for your Help!

[Kevin Hall]

I'll make a comment about Lake Woodruff ... since it's kinda my "home turf". ;)

The lake was treated with Aquathol K on December 4/5, at a rate of 2 PPM. The "open" part of the lake (middle) was becoming unnavigable because of the topped out hydrilla ... something had to be done. The "effective" treatment area was about 1000 acres right in the middle & boat travel lanes. It was imperative that the areas of natural (native) vegetation were not affected. The lake has a good grop of coontail, eelgrass, and banana lillies ... these were not affected by the hydrilla treatment.

I attended the meeting for the planning of the treatment ... and was present during the actual treatment. It was very professional, & everyone involved was very specific on treating the hydrilla ONLY! They are just as concerned about our waterways as we are. :)

[Kevin Hall]

I just went back to the "members" forum & pulled the pertinent information about Woodruff. :)

[swilli1054]

I also have been promised by the Deputy Director of the FDEP that we (UW-F)will have a meeting in Tallahassee with the State managers of vegetation control.


Newton please let myself and Carl V know when this is scheduled.

Stephen

[N. Cook]

Will do.....expect it to be in March.....