Mass launch ramps closed...
 

http://tinyurl.com/me4daq

It's an interesting article - on the one hand they improve water
quality and fishing and on the other hand, they are a pest.

There's got to be a middle ground.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:56:06 -0400, Captain Zombie of Woodstock wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/me4daq

It's an interesting article - on the one hand they improve water quality
and fishing and on the other hand, they are a pest.

There's got to be a middle ground.

And, closing launch ramps is only delaying the inevitable. Those mussels
can be transferred on something as simple as a fishing line. The ladies
right about kayaks. I was looking at another site, that had instructions
on cleaning to prevent the spread, and, from my perspective, seemed damn
near impossible to do adequately. Zebra mussels have already been found
coast to coast, and in another 20 years, I would expect them to be
pervasive.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:26:19 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:56:06 -0400, Captain Zombie of Woodstock wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/me4daq

It's an interesting article - on the one hand they improve water quality
and fishing and on the other hand, they are a pest.

There's got to be a middle ground.

And, closing launch ramps is only delaying the inevitable. Those mussels
can be transferred on something as simple as a fishing line. The ladies
right about kayaks. I was looking at another site, that had instructions
on cleaning to prevent the spread, and, from my perspective, seemed damn
near impossible to do adequately. Zebra mussels have already been found
coast to coast, and in another 20 years, I would expect them to be
pervasive.

I agree, but it seems to me, and I'm not an expert by any sense of the
word, that every article seems to emphasize the negative, but always
somewhere in the middle or bottom, the water clarity improves, the
fishing improves and there seems to be a benefit in having these
critters around. I can only relate my experience in these invested
waters and the diving was terrific - almost like diving in the
Carribean and the fishing was fantastic.

I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure
they can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:50:40 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:


I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure they
can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

One would think, but while there may be an improvement in fishing short
term, you have to wonder about long term. I'm just guessing here, but
you have to wonder about a filter feeders entry into the food chain. Not
many native species eat the mussels, but many native species eat herring
and other plankton feeders. Remember when acid rain was a problem in the
Adirondacks? The water was incredibly clear, but for the most part
sterile. I'm not saying that will be the case with the mussels, but it
is something to consider.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:50:40 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock
wrote:

I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure
they can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

Engineering will eventually solve the water intake issue. Lake
Ontario has been a huge success story as far as I can see and local
residents agree. The lake is cleaner/clearer now than any time since
the early 50s and I'm seeing signs that other fresh water shell fish
are coming back also. When I was a kid Lake O's beaches were covered
with small shells at certain times of the year but that all went away
in the 60s as pollution of various types took over.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:39:58 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:50:40 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock
wrote:

I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure
they can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

Engineering will eventually solve the water intake issue. Lake
Ontario has been a huge success story as far as I can see and local
residents agree. The lake is cleaner/clearer now than any time since
the early 50s and I'm seeing signs that other fresh water shell fish
are coming back also. When I was a kid Lake O's beaches were covered
with small shells at certain times of the year but that all went away
in the 60s as pollution of various types took over.

One of the reasons I was totally steered to salt water once I visited
Florida is the abundance of life in the salt.
Fresh water is sterile in comparison.
Great progress has been made bringing the Great Lakes back to life,
and there are plenty of fresh water lakes and streams I would fish,
but I'll take the salt.
Lake Erie seems far the best of the Great Lakes for fishing, but
that's only a guess from reading.
When I was at U.S. Steel at Chicago's South Works in 1968 the DNR's
(think it was Illinois and Michigan doing most of it) started the Coho
Salmon program, and some would show up in the cooling water intake
strainers. Saw them.
I was real happy to see them, but before I could start fishing for
them the news came out that they were loaded with PCB's.
Most of that came from the OMC plant in Waukegan, I think.
Anyway, I never even considered fishing in Lake Michigan when that
news broke. Still producing and using my semen then.
Think I was berthed in Toledo with Cleveland Tankers when the Cayahoga
river caught fire in Cleveland 4 or 5 years later.
What do I make of it?
Lake Erie Walleyes are tough critters!

--Vic

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:39:58 -0400, Wayne.B wrote:


Engineering will eventually solve the water intake issue.

I believe the engineering has already been done, it's the retrofitting.
Great Britain doesn't seem to have the intake problems, but the zebra
invaded them in the 1800s. Their water facilities were built with the
zebra in mind. Here we have to $$retrofit$$.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:12:19 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:50:40 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:


I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure they
can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

One would think, but while there may be an improvement in fishing short
term, you have to wonder about long term. I'm just guessing here, but
you have to wonder about a filter feeders entry into the food chain. Not
many native species eat the mussels, but many native species eat herring
and other plankton feeders. Remember when acid rain was a problem in the
Adirondacks? The water was incredibly clear, but for the most part
sterile. I'm not saying that will be the case with the mussels, but it
is something to consider.

Well, they've been dealing with them in England since the 19th century
and it doesn't appear to have hurt their eco system much at all.

I may have mentioned this in the original thread, but I read some
research a while back about Ontario and Erie - the zebra mussels may
actually have significantly contributed to the fisheries recovery in
those lakes not to mention the pollution issues.

Roseland lake here in Woodstock could use a couple of bushels of the
critters - not that I would do that you understand, but that lake is
deader than a doornail, polluted beyond recognition from fertilizer
runoff and cow crap - sometimes you can't walk in the park because the
smell from the lake is so bad. Thirty years ago it was a prime fishing
spot in this part of CT - trout, bass, crappie - great lake. Now your
lucky if you can catch an undersized horn pout.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 23:39:58 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:50:40 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock
wrote:

I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure
they can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

Engineering will eventually solve the water intake issue. Lake
Ontario has been a huge success story as far as I can see and local
residents agree. The lake is cleaner/clearer now than any time since
the early 50s and I'm seeing signs that other fresh water shell fish
are coming back also. When I was a kid Lake O's beaches were covered
with small shells at certain times of the year but that all went away
in the 60s as pollution of various types took over.

I can't seem to find the papers on the web, but there has been
research that seems to indicate that the zebra mussel has contributed
to the improvement in the health of Ontario and Erie.

Mass launch ramps closed...
 

"Wizard of Woodstock" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:26:19 -0500, thunder
wrote:

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:56:06 -0400, Captain Zombie of Woodstock wrote:

http://tinyurl.com/me4daq

It's an interesting article - on the one hand they improve water quality
and fishing and on the other hand, they are a pest.

There's got to be a middle ground.

And, closing launch ramps is only delaying the inevitable. Those mussels
can be transferred on something as simple as a fishing line. The ladies
right about kayaks. I was looking at another site, that had instructions
on cleaning to prevent the spread, and, from my perspective, seemed damn
near impossible to do adequately. Zebra mussels have already been found
coast to coast, and in another 20 years, I would expect them to be
pervasive.

I agree, but it seems to me, and I'm not an expert by any sense of the
word, that every article seems to emphasize the negative, but always
somewhere in the middle or bottom, the water clarity improves, the
fishing improves and there seems to be a benefit in having these
critters around. I can only relate my experience in these invested
waters and the diving was terrific - almost like diving in the
Carribean and the fishing was fantastic.

I've got to believe that there is some kind of preventative measure
they can take to lessen their impact on water intakes and such.

They are a nusiance to boats and water delivery systems. However, I think
control is the way to proceed, and not prevention from infestation. I think
infestation is inevitable.

Here in Santa Clara County (CA), they have an inspection operation in place.
Your boat must be inspected before launching in any lake in the county. All
they're really looking for is standing water of any type. They place a band
on your boat/trailer when you retrieve, and if that band is not broken the
next time you launch, you don't need to be inspected again.

It all sounds nice, and it's some nice revenue for the county I'm sure.
However, many of the boats in these lakes are of the wakeboard type that
have inboard ballast tanks. No matter how long you leave those pumps
running, there will always be some water left in those tanks... along with
mussel larvae. They can inspect all they want, but as soon as someone comes
from an infected lake, passes inspection, then fills and drains their
ballast tank, the lake will be infected.

They are only delaying the inevitable. Instead of inspecting boats, they
sould raise the launch fees, and use that $$$ to find a way to control the
buggers.

--Mike