By Patricia Bogumil
Interim Editor
There are limits to what steps can be taken to correct weed problems on Tichigan Lake, its bays and the Fox River.
A report about the weed treatments used this spring was made May 24 by Mike Waghorn, a member of the Aquatic Plant Management Committee for the Waterford Waterway Management District (WWMD).
WWMD’s weed treatments are limited by budget constraints as well as what is allowed by the state, explained Waghorn, speaking at the May 24 monthly meeting.
Two categories of weeds grow in Waterford’s waterways, which WWMD is allowed to treat differently, Waghorn told the meeting.
• Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) like pondweed and milfoil, are treated with herbicides early in the season. This year’s treatment was performed April 26.
The state requires that waterways being treated first be surveyed for AIS at a set number of points. This year, WWMD decided to change the sites that historically have been surveyed, he said.
“We did the same number of survey points but we did them in different areas,” Waghorn said.
But not every area in the river, the bays and the lake were surveyed, he added. “We cannot afford to do that.”
The April 26 AIS treatments took longer than expected to take effect, Waghorn said, but by May 21 a lot of the weeds had died back in treated areas, with full results expected to be seen by Memorial Day.
Significant AIS problems have continued in areas that were not treated, Waghorn said.
• Indigenous species such as Coontail and Elodea are actually beneficial to the waterways, Waghorn said.
But, in excess, they restrict recreational use, can be dangerous and can also become detrimental to the health of the waterway.
The state Department of Natural Resources limits WWMD to only treating 30-foot-wide navigational paths to allow access to piers, Waghorn said.
“We cannot treat the whole lake,” he explained.
The navigational treatments were applied May 21. If needed, another treatment may be applied this summer based on need, budget constraints and DNR approval.
Treatments for lily pad control could also be made later in the season.
For next year, the committee would like to see more pre-treatment survey points added. The committee expects to ask for more funds in the 2013 WWMD budget for that purpose, Waghorn said.
WWMD is also exploring the possible use of an experimental weed treatment, as well as alternative treatments like weed cutting, weed pulling and use of natural resources such as Weevil bugs.
The treatments currently being used target growing weeds, not floating weeds, Waghorn said in reply to a resident’s question.
Waghorn said he hopes that sometime in June he will have a GPS path available that will show every pier that was treated this year.
He invited any riparian owners who feel their property should have been treated but was not to contact him by email at [email protected].
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In the 50’s and 60’s the weeds were a problem, this was before Lake property was a premium,then came the 70’s when everybody wanted to live on the water. Next came the septic overflows that almost killed the lake bringing on the Town Sewage district. Now the Lake is healthy and its a problem again? I spent the first 24 years of my life on this lake, now I just laugh at these stories.
I have lived at Tichigan Lake since 1960. Growing up there was a time the lake had many weeds. People complained so the weeds where harvested and the farmers used them in their fields for the added nutrients. But people wanted a way to get rid of the weeds so they where poisoned off. Then with a greatly diminished supply of weeds we had the green slime lake scum. It was so bad I remember my Dad throwing a lit cigerette onto the scum, and it burned out. It was not put out by the lake water. To swim we had to make an opening in the scum, dive throught the cleared hole and swim under water to clear the scum, and come up beyond it.
Now you are poisoning the weeds again. It is a vicious cycle. The lake needs the weeds to be healthy. To control them invest in a weed harvestor. No more poisons. Just think- these chemicals are entering our bodies through our pours and body openings. Their purpose is to destroy weeds. What are they doing to the people who use the lake and river?