UW-F Hydrilla Project Report

[N. Cook]

I had a long conversation today with Mr. Jeffery Schardt, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, and UW-F will be included in appropriate meetings in the future regarding spraying programs in the state.

Mr. Schardt was very forthcoming and stated that waterfowl have been included in the scheme when possible. However, there are a large number of agencies and companies that actually do the spraying and coordination is difficult in many situations.

I was very encouraged by the conversation and look forward to beginning what will be a long and complicated project to do as best as can be hoped to improve the forage for the wintering waterfowl.

NOW WE MUST DO OUR PART.....I need SPECIFIC locations that have been problems in the recent past.....places where there was hydrilla and ducks one year and no hydrilla and ducks the next year due to spraying at a time that removed the hydrilla just before the migration. Places that last season and today, have no hydrilla and had no ducks that held ducks before.

ALSO....WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUGGEST SPECIFIC PLACES where leaving hydrilla unsprayed or spot sprayed would be advantageous.....they obvioulsy cannot be canals and normally open water central lake areas.

This is STATEWIDE, so everyone out there needs to help me out....and some may well want a chance to attend meetings and get in the game.....This is what UW-F is all about!
Newton

[Larry]

The whole St Johns River has been pretty much cleaned out. But I think it is managed by a different agencies, the Army Corp of Engineers from Lake Pickett north??

I don't understand why they feel they have to spray areas that were never navigable. Can Schardt shed some light on why?

[Logans1437]

Lake Kissimmee. Used to be a haven - lots of hydriolla and lots of ducks. If you could compare this year with three years ago, you wouldn't believe it was even the same lake.

And if you go back 10 years.........it's a barren wasteland comparatively speaking. I understand the effort to control the stuff, but if you cannot truly eradicate it, please manage it responsibly.

[Kevin Hall]

In my area ...

Lake George & Lake Woodruff ... both were wiped completely clean by spraying 2 seasons ago (2003) .... right before duck season. Sprayed/treated during August & September.

[duckmanJR]

Lake Garcia ( north area) and stickmarsh/farm 13

[Wilbur]

Emerelda Marsh

[ironeyes]

Borrow ponds at Ft. Drum, St. Johns River and associated lakes south of 192

[nosoypato]

Lake Toho.

[chiplaughton]

Lake Istokpogoa

[whistlingwings]

Big & Little Lk. George. COE F'ng ruined them 2 years ago no ducks since.
Crescent Lk. and Margaret

[Logans1437]

Newton-

Lk. Kissimmee:

Back in July there was lots of hydrilla on the lake. Specifically, you'd find it within the emergent vegetation line on nearly the entire northern half of the lake. I mean from Philadelphia Point on the west shore, around through the park, over past the ditch and east along the school bus shoreline, all around Sturm Island, back north into North Cove, and all the way down the east shoreline past Ox. It looked healthy and did not restrict navigation in any of the main body of the lake. (The hydrilla rarely extended more than 100 yds. from the shore and always remained within the emergent vegetation line - and there were plenty of navigable boat trails within this area as well.)

During the 04-05 hunting season, however, the hydrilla was non-existent except in sparse patches hidden in rare areas. There was some hydrilla that made it up into the flodded pastures during the high water, and it really held ducks, but it died as the water receded.

Here is my real question: the hurricanes caused major changes on the emergent vegetation around the whole lake. Did they also impact the hydrilla? Could the lake have literally flushed itself of the hydrilla? I tend to doubt this theory because I think it would have established itself down the river or clogged the series of locks located below the lake itself. I heard no reports of either.

Spraying has impacted the lake for the last several years. And it always happens before duck season. I ask the same question as everyone else - can they simply change the scehdule to allow the hydrilla during the months when the ducks use it as food?

[SSPhone]

Lake Pierce
This central FL lake (Polk county) near Lake Wales area has been sprayed so much in the last few years all of the plants are gone and of corse so are all of the ducks. "And some of the houses thanks to Charlie." And also thanks to Charlie for removing the Dock if the guy that hit golf balls at us from it.

[N. Cook]

These posts and a letter were sent to Mr Schardt today. If you have further specific information just continue to update this string.

[nosoypato]

Lake Winder has no houses and it has been totally cleared of hydrilla. West shore of Lake Poinset is uninhabited, had lots of hydrilla that also got wiped out.

[uncle D]

Orange and Lochlossa, Newnans,Tsala Apopka chain, Pannosofkee, Rowell, Sampson, Seminole,etc.......

Duke

[Alain]

Newton:

This is truly wonderful news. I am smiling from ear to ear...let us do all we can to help migratory and residential waterfowl. This is a golden opportunity!

Let us first suggest a few points regarding application:

1. the timing of the spraying be considered to coincide with the period when the chemicals are most effective, that is when the plants are growing and at their most vulnerable: early to late Spring and maybe again mid-Summer. Two applications should do the job. Moreover, this will give the habitat time to recuperate and break down the chemicals before the migratory birds arrive. As we hunters have all observed, albeit anecdotally, waterfowl can sense chemical residues and they avoid areas that have been recently sprayed. Establish a no-spray policy two months before the migration.

2. as a matter of general policy, consider establishing a program of keeping the travel channels open and leaving lake and river edges, shorelines and lillypad beds as spray-free zones. Contain the hydrilla vegetation without trying to eradicate it. The vegetation has its benefits, filter polluted water, provide cover for fish, and provide food for local and migratory waterfowl. The folks at Guana did a superb job this year of following this policy and the lake was a wonderful habitat.

3. examine how the spraying is actually contracted out. Most of the times I have observed spraying applications, the contractor is spraying all that is green. The result is an ecological desert. One can for instance look at the St. John from Lake Winder to Lake Harney and see what happened over the past few years. This area that was so alive has become nothing but a running river of mud. One can cite many examples. I guess the contracts must be granted on amount of chemicals used rather than specified areas of application. Maybe this issue can be considered.

4. Consider using mechanical means to control vegetation whenever possible.

With regards to specifics, locations, I understand that the St. John from Poinsett on North is out of bounds in this discussion because another agency is involved. So here are my two cents worth on specifics:

1. many have touched upon the Kissimmee chain and I concur.
2. Lake Winder was once a great habitat for waterfowl. Let us suggest to leave the shoreline up to 300 feet free from spraying.
3. Lochloosa, Orange, and Newnan's lakes. Same story. Lay off little Lochloosa, the Eastern shoreline and Southeastern shoreline. Let the lillypad beds come back to what they use to be along with the hydrilla on the shoreline. In Orange, the Macintosh bay use to be a wonderful place to fish and hunt amongst the vast lillypad beds and hydrilla. Now that the water level has risen, let us try to let these come back. Same for the whole of the Southern shore. Newnan's has been cleared to the shoreline. How about leaving lillypad beds to come back on the Southern end of the lake and on its North and Northeastern edges along with hydrilla beds.
4. Rodman reservoir: I see no reason why the reservoir is sprayed to the shoreline, particularly the North shore. Let us suggest to lay off the bay from Kenwood, past Deep Creek, and further East until the channel is met again. Same for the Orange Springs area.
5. Guana Lake, same thing. Hoperfully, the spraying program that was followed this year will be in place next year.
6. Emerelda marsh: certainly some conrol is needed there where areas have become impassable. Is it possible to use drawdowns and mechanical means to effect vegetation control? the bottom is very hard there, and I suspect one can certainly take in machinery to take care of vegetation problems and to remove the muck that accumulates from the decay of the vegetation.

If I think of something else that has not been touched upon, I will post again. Let us do all we can to help.

Alain