JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...


I like what they do out in the Midwest - like WI and MI and MN. At a
lot of boat launches, they have rinse grates where you can pull your
boat, trailer prior to launch and after launch - the waste water is
contained and any weeds stay there for later recovery. I think that
might be a good program for some of the larger lakes in the NE.

If only that had happened before zebra mussels got out of hand around
here...

From what we learned on our great norther circle vacation a few years
ago the zebra mussels in the St. Lawrence enable the water to be cleaned
in 3 days versus the 30 days before it was unintentionally introduced.

John Wentworth wrote:
I boat and fish on freshwater lakes in New Hampshire and some of these
waters are becoming congested with non-native plants, especially milfoil.
There are some waters that more resemble a meadow than a river or lake. When
milfoil reaches this point the water is lost to both boating and fishing,
although some milfoil seems to provide cover for fish and improve fishing.
Waterfront residents seem convinced that the source of the milfoil is
non-resident boats, and the operators of those boats claim they always
inspect their boat for milfoil before launching. There doesn't seem to be a
consensus on what can, or should, be done, or who should pay for it.

What's being done in your area? I know that southern areas have fought this
battle for years, but it's relatively new in northern New England.

In western NY, Finger Lakes region, there are two lakes close to Keuka,
which are Waneta and Lamoka. In Waneta the actually have a thing going
regarding spraying for milfoil, and it's working. You can do a web
search for more info, here's a start:

http://www.lamokawaneta.com/

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

"John Wentworth" wrote in message
...
I boat and fish on freshwater lakes in New Hampshire and some of these
waters are becoming congested with non-native plants, especially
milfoil. There are some waters that more resemble a meadow than a river
or lake. When milfoil reaches this point the water is lost to both
boating and fishing, although some milfoil seems to provide cover for
fish and improve fishing. Waterfront residents seem convinced that the
source of the milfoil is non-resident boats, and the operators of those
boats claim they always inspect their boat for milfoil before
launching. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on what can, or should,
be done, or who should pay for it.

What's being done in your area? I know that southern areas have fought
this battle for years, but it's relatively new in northern New
England.

Once established does it regrow on its own every year after the winter
freeze? I've never heard of it, but I have not done much freshwater
fishing or boating for many years.

Eisboch
Yes, Eurasian Water Milfoil is quite a problem in Minnesota, where it
still freezes in the winter.

"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 17:02:01 -0400, " JimH" not telling you @
pffftt.com wrote:

They multiply quite fast and can cause havoc with water intake pipes. For
example, they can clog water intake pipes at our municipal water plants on
Lake Erie, as well as cooling water intakes for our electric generating
plants. They are also can clog cooling water intakes on I/O's when the
motors are not run regularly. Lastly, they cause pretty nasty cuts on
your
feet if you step on them while wading through the water.

So why not just clean them on a regular basis?

They do. But the result is an extra maintenance cost.

On Sat, 23 Sep 2006 20:51:12 +0000, Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:


What exactly is the problem with zebra mussels anyway?

When I went fishing and swimming in the St. Lawrence Seaway, I loved
the clear water and the smallmouth fishing was spectacular. I had a
huge pike follow a streamer for a good distance and I watched him the
whole way - a good 50/60 feet before he took the bait.

Seems to me the clear water is a good thing.

Maybe, but clear water is just one of the mussel's impacts. The filtering
of algae is the cause of the clearer waters. That same algae that is a
food source for herring, smelt, and alewives. Which, in turn, are the
food source for the larger game fish we chase.

When an invasive species takes over, as the zebra mussel has, the
ecosystem is put out of balance. It seems to me, it is still too early to
say whether the zebra mussel's invasion is a good thing or a bad thing.

I like what they do out in the Midwest - like WI and MI and MN. At a
lot of boat launches, they have rinse grates where you can pull your
boat, trailer prior to launch and after launch - the waste water is
contained and any weeds stay there for later recovery. I think that
might be a good program for some of the larger lakes in the NE.

Briefly, i n Wisconsin the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offer
training to help concerned citizens how to identify a variety of
invasives, including Asian Milfoil. Some grånts also are available to
lake districts to initiate lake inspection programs and volunteers are
recruited to do boat and trailer inspections, especially during periods
of high traffic.

Someone mentioned earlier, I believe, that there are native milfoil
varieties that are beneficial. The problem with the invasive variety is
that it kill all other forms of vegitation and destroys natural
habitat. And it's true that runoff from shoreland and lawns that are
overly developed are equally a threat to habitat. It's interesting that
many people destroy the very features that attracted them to lake
country in the first place.

Good luck. If you want more on Wisconsin's programs you might want to
visit our DNR's website at: www:dnr.wi.gov.

It doesn't sound encouraging ....

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pl...s/milfoil.html

Eisboch

That information from Washington is similar to here in New Hampshire. There
is basic disagreement about what to do, and who should pay for the program.
Our Fish & Game department is reluctant to approve wide-spread use of
herbicides (2,4,D), and the other methods suggested by Washington are very
expensive and don't work all that well.
Economic damage, in the form of reduced property tax revenues, may prove to
be the incentive needed to get local and state governments to take action
against milfoil. Just recently I heard of a waterfront property owner on our
largest lake who got a 25% reduction in his land assessment because of
milfoil in the water. That will be a significant loss in tax revenue for his
town. New Hampshire towns do love to tax waterfront properties; the owners
are typically "out-of-staters" who can't vote in the town, and, at best, are
simply tolerated by the locals. The loss of this cash cow may encourage
towns to get interested in milfoil.

I would be interested to hear about a state that is using 2,4,D in a major
program.