Tuesday, November 24, 2012
Media contact: Gary Morse, 863-648-3200
During the last week of November, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will treat hydrilla in portions of Lake Istokpoga. All scheduled management efforts are subject to weather conditions. The lake will be monitored after treatment.
There are no restrictions for fishing, swimming or irrigation after treatment. Aquathol K™, Diquat, and Clipper are herbicides approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for use in lakes.
The FWC’s Invasive Plant Management Section will treat:
- 2,300 acres of hydrilla on Lake Istokpoga using Aquathol K™ liquid herbicide applied by helicopter;
- 100 acres of hydrilla on Lake Istokpoga using a Clipper/Diquat herbicide combination applied by airboat;
Hydrilla is an invasive, non-native aquatic plant spread easily by boats. It clogs waterways, making recreational activities difficult or impossible and chokes out beneficial native plants. Treatments are planned to enhance navigation, protect flood-prone areas and prevent encroachment by hydrilla on beneficial native aquatic plants. Hydrilla management strikes a balance between the negative impacts of the plant and the beneficial factors desired by recreational anglers and waterfowl hunters.
Scientific research and the economics of attempting to manage hydrilla provide a compelling reason to keep it out of new areas or control it before it harms native fish and wildlife habitat, navigation, flood-control efforts, potable and irrigation water supplies, recreation and the aesthetic qualities of Florida lakes.
For questions about this treatment, contact Kelle Sullivan, FWC invasive plant management biologist, at 863-534-7074.