Invasive species in the lake

[Diver1111]

I have seen huge amounts of invasive growth on the bottom of Winnipesaukee although this varies widely place to place-Paugus and Lees Mills come to mind among others; I have posted here a sonar image of a plant invasive in Paugus covering acres. Plant invasives there can be so thick they present a wall 6 feet high and so dense swimming through it is impossible.

That brings me to Shellfish invasives, not something I have seen yet in the big lake.

In 2013 I attended a sonar training course at North West Michigan College on Lake Michigan. One of the instructors at the college told the class that quagga and zebra mussels (filter feeders) are so bad in Lake Michigan that scientists estimate that the entire contents of Lake Michigan are filtered through the present mussel population every 8 days..

Another diver/sonar operator I came across named Dan Scoville hunts wrecks in the Great Lakes. The photographs he took with his ROV (remotely operated vehicle) below showing invasive mussels completely covering wrecks speaks for itself. It's unbelievable. If you doubt the power they have to affect a body of water, look closely at their sheer numbers on these wrecks.

The collateral damage from them is really bad.

This said if you ever see an odd accumulation of small shellfish I would strongly suggest you email DES a photo describing where they were located what were they attached to.

Two major offenders you are looking for is the Quagga mussel and the Zebra mussel, both generally about 1" long.

Note there are fresh water clams in the lake that are not invasives to my knowledge. I feed bass with them now and then.

These Shellfish invasives will also clog pipe inlets, cover outboards and anything else they can get a foothold on, and are a true scourge.

Lake Champlain already has a problem with an assortment of invasives so if it can happen there it can happen here. Read more here:

http://www.lakechamplaincommittee.or...ecies-in-lake/

Just a heads-up to please be vigilant and watch for them. These things border on plain evil, killing all sorts of other marine life that are in their path.

Start by cleaning you boat well when you travel from one body of water to another esp. the anchor well.

[meredith weekender]

We are located in Meredith Bay and some type of Mussels have been taking over our area for the last 5 years. As the lake warms up, they come in all around our dock and into the shallow waters. We could fill a 5 gallon pail in about 30 minutes. They get worse every year.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by meredith weekender

We are located in Meredith Bay and some type of Mussels have been taking over our area for the last 5 years. As the lake warms up, they come in all around our dock and into the shallow waters. We could fill a 5 gallon pail in about 30 minutes. They get worse every year.

I would suggest contacting DES, and having the come out and identify said Mussels......

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++

I lived in Vermont on Lake Champlain for 8 years... we all think the issue on Winnipesaukee are bad.... the can get a whole lot worse if people let there guard down, or decide not to address a problem as soon as they see it. On Champlain I saw issue with aquatic plants and with zebra muscles first hand... the plants chocked parts of the lake and made them absolutely unusable. I recall going to a ramp to launch my boat, only to find that the vegetation was so bad I almost could push the boat off the trailer.....I forget what the plant in that are was, but I remember researching it to find out that it was one of many evasive species of aquatic plants, and was wide spread all over lake Champlain make parts of the lake unusable.

[JakeLake]

I studied invasive species last semester.. the outlook for lakes in this region does not look good, especially in lakes that are heavily trafficked like Winni. The fairly obvious thing that makes Invasive species such a problem is that they have no natural predators. Their population increases until it reaches carrying capacity (The point where there isn't enough food to sustain life), but by that point the whole ecology of the lake would be destroyed. 99% of boaters and lake goers can responsibly rinse off equipment, but all it takes is that 1% to destroy the whole eco-system of the lake. Zebra Muscles will eventually become a problem that needs to be handled, the sooner the better.. but in a lake so big I understand why its not a priority yet.. "out of sight, out of mind".
Mill-foil is also another invasive species that could be disastrous to Winni.. As if its negative effects on swimming and boating isn't bad enough, the chemicals that are used to fight the Mill-foil render any water being drawn out of Winni undrinkable for at least 2 weeks. If you can't drink it you can only imagine what its doing to the aquatic wildlife that has to live in it and breath it. But, in the grand scheme of freshwater invasive species that could survive in Winni it could be a lot worse. (Google 'Silver "Flying" Carp). Time will tell. Great thread though.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by JakeLake

If you can't drink it you can only imagine what its doing to the aquatic wildlife that has to live in it and breath it.

The milfoil spraying raised some serious hell with the white perch spawn. The states biologist and Fish and Game are well aware but aren't saying much...just ask them when you see one.

Ask any fishermen who caught and kept salmon last year how much white perch fry they encountered when cleaning their salmon...hardly any will most likely be the answer! At least that's what I and everyone I spoke to found. The areas that were sprayed are / were excellent white perch habitat and that's why I believe it affected them the most.

While I agree milfoil is a big issue The long term eco effects of spraying far outweigh the benefits in my opinion. There just has to be another way...what that is I do not know...

Dan

[JakeLake]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

"There just has to be another way...what that is I do not know..."

Dan

Once I graduate I'll hopefully be able to figure it out . There are little insects in the beetle family called "Weevils" that have had varied success in combating Mill-foil. That being said, It's very rare for a foreign species to take out an invasive species without further complication and elevation to the problem. Any move has to be well calculated. Fortunately (for us) Winni is not the only lake that is dealing with this problem.. research is being accumulated nationwide.

Again, it could be worse. We're worried about vegetation, It could be a Snakehead fish. In two years a single female can produce 150,000 eggs. That would be a disaster and really the end of Winni as we knew it..

[MGWillia]

I never remember seeing them when I was a kid (may have been here). But this summer we were at the West Alton Sandbar area. I noticed a bunch of shells down there and I thought maybe someone had had a clam lunch there while anchored. hhmm

[Dave R]

I find it odd that the NH Fish and Game stocks our lakes and rivers with rainbow and brown trout. Both could be considered invasive here as they are not native to our waters.

[JakeLake]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I find it odd that the NH Fish and Game stocks our lakes and rivers with rainbow and brown trout. Both could be considered invasive here as they are not native to our waters.

"An invasive species is defined legally in the USA as “An alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health…‘Alien species’ means, with respect to a particular ecosystem, any species…that is not native to that ecosystem.” - Encyclopedia Of Life

Alien*, Not invasive. It's not the trout that are the problem, they're not going to ruin the eco system like many other foreign organisms would.

[Lakegeezer]

The mussels and freshwater clams help clean the bottom and may be more of a clean water indicator than a problem. When the muck gets too thick, they disappear, unable to keep up with their janitorial duties.

Zebra mussels are a big threat, but so far the water chemistry of Winnipesaukee has kept them away. From what I remember of a water quality class, Winnipesaukee is more acidic than Lake Champlain, and doesn't allow the shell of calcium to grow on the Zebras. The threat is that they mutate and adapt to our waters.

Milfoil is indeed a scourge. Moultonborough allocates about $200,000 per year for removal. Residents are encouraged to send reports of milfoil to weedwatchers.moultonborough@gmail.com so that removal can be scheduled. Most is done with diver assisted suction harvester. In 2014, over 10,000 gallons of milfoil were removed from Moultonborough's waters.

There is a lot of concern about the impact of the milfoil chemical treatment, but not all is warranted. Chemicals are not used during the spawning period of the protected bridal shiner, because it kills the weeds that are used to hide the nests from predators. Impact on white perch would be news to me, but perhaps a similar scenario applies.

The chemicals are not the preferred method, but when faced with acres of milfoil to remove, it is cost effective.

[JakeLake]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

"Moultonborough allocates about $200,000 per year for removal."

200,000 a year equates to roughly $49.45 a citizen. I find that fascinating. It's not a Moultonborough problem, It's a threat to every property and business owner on the lake. I'm struggling to find a government estimate on how much Milfoil there is in the lake and what the rate of growth is estimated to be in the coming years.. perhaps someone could point me towards that information.

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

There is a lot of concern about the impact of the milfoil chemical treatment, but not all is warranted. Chemicals are not used during the spawning period of the protected bridal shiner, because it kills the weeds that are used to hide the nests from predators. Impact on white perch would be news to me, but perhaps a similar scenario applies.

I have to respectfully disagree with that statement. The unknowns of the chemical composition and long term effects it has on the wildlife is enough to warrant a multitude of concern. This chemical mixture is not a free thinking substance that only targets Milfoil, it effects all vegetation in its path. This effected vegetation then gets consumed by low level organisms and travels up the food chain.. eventually bioaccumulating through each level until it reaches top predators around the lake (Eagles, Bear, Fisher cats, etc.). There is good reason drinking water can not be consumed up to two weeks after bodies of freshwater have received chemical treatment in the fight against Milfoil.. That water contains abnormal levels of a strong toxin detrimental to human health. Historically, chemicals have only been used to target a concentrated population of Milfoil inhabiting a cove.. It is not a viable option of control once the vegetation has spread.

I believe an in-depth government assessment is past due.. unless one already exist.

[MAXUM]

I look at it this way. This problem isn't going to solve itself, and having read a little bit about the treatment used, it's specifically targeting the milfoil plant. To do nothing to control it's growth and spread will do significant damage to the lake and it's native species of plants and fish. Now the chemical treatment may have some side affects as well, but the treatments have been pretty well studied and I think that if used prudently any side affects will be minimized. I'd much rather see it controlled than not, and I have to believe that the NH DES has done extensive study and research that indicates it's occasional use where infestations are present is the best option at this time. While it may seem awful to dump a chemical into the water to kill this stuff, it may not be as bad as you think. Better yet - think of it this way, there are side affects to taking say Advil for a little pain relief. Does that stop you if you really need it?

[JakeLake]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

I look at it this way. This problem isn't going to solve itself, and having read a little bit about the treatment used, it's specifically targeting the milfoil plant. To do nothing to control it's growth and spread will do significant damage to the lake and it's native species of plants and fish. Now the chemical treatment may have some side affects as well, but the treatments have been pretty well studied and I think that if used prudently any side affects will be minimized. I'd much rather see it controlled than not, and I have to believe that the NH DES has done extensive study and research that indicates it's occasional use where infestations are present is the best option at this time. While it may seem awful to dump a chemical into the water to kill this stuff, it may not be as bad as you think. Better yet - think of it this way, there are side affects to taking say Advil for a little pain relief. Does that stop you if you really need it?

Well, Advil is not a substance created to eradicate a living organism so I don't think thats a fair connection to draw. Orange juice, although I enjoy it, causes discomfort because I have acid reflex.. but those side effects can't be compared to herbicide either. Can you name what chemical your specifically speaking of?.. I've seen multiple chemicals used in different situations and all seem to have their detrimental side effects. I didn't suggest that we do nothing, I think it needs to be removed by hand. Chemicals didn't bring the Milfoil to the lake, It was humans who brought it to the lake and it needs to be humans who remove it from the lake. This long term investment may take time and be expensive but recklessly killing vegitation and poisoning the food chain at its lowest level could prove to be much more costly in the long run. The Lakeport Dam was built 69 years ago, since then we've put a man on the moon and learned how to harness power from the sun.. I'm sure we could find a way to remove vegetation from a lake.

[SAB1]

Hey I hate milfoil too. Gets stuck on my fishing line! Cost benefits to everything...who puts chemicals on their lawns to kill weeds.....Because we all don't have time to hand pull weeds........not that you would ever get them all out of the lawn anyway. And not to digress but.......all those lush looking lawns at water edge, you know the fertilizer is getting to the lake and weeds love that.......

[MAXUM]

Originally Posted by JakeLake

Well, Advil is not a substance created to eradicate a living organism so I don't think thats a fair connection to draw. Orange juice, although I enjoy it, causes discomfort because I have acid reflex.. but those side effects can't be compared to herbicide either. Can you name what chemical your specifically speaking of?.. I've seen multiple chemicals used in different situations and all seem to have their detrimental side effects. I didn't suggest that we do nothing, I think it needs to be removed by hand. Chemicals didn't bring the Milfoil to the lake, It was humans who brought it to the lake and it needs to be humans who remove it from the lake. This long term investment may take time and be expensive but recklessly killing vegitation and poisoning the food chain at its lowest level could prove to be much more costly in the long run. The Lakeport Dam was built 69 years ago, since then we've put a man on the moon and learned how to harness power from the sun.. I'm sure we could find a way to remove vegetation from a lake.

I believe this is what NH uses:

Two formulations of 2,4-D approved for aquatic use. The granular formulation contains the low-volatile butoxy-ethyl-ester formulation of 2,4-D (Trade names include AquaKleen® and Navigate®). The liquid formulation contains the dimethylamine salt of 2,4-D (Trade names include DMA*4IVM). 2,4-D is a relatively fast-acting, systemic, selective herbicide used for the control of Eurasian watermilfoil and other broad-leaved species. Both the granular and liquid formulations can be effective for spot treatment of Eurasian watermilfoil. 2,4-D has been shown to be selective to Eurasian watermilfoil when used at the labeled rate, leaving native aquatic species relatively unaffected.

Aside from chemical treatment, there have been natural predators used to control it with varying success, however the introduction of natural predators and the effects are still being studied. Clearly this is better than chemicals unless the predators do more harm than good....

Natural predators of the eurasian milfoil can be introduced into contaminated areas. These species thrive on destroying the weed, but do not affect the ecological environment of the native species. For example, in Brownington Pond (VT) the weevil, an herbivoric insect that eats milfoil (Euhrychiopsis Lecontei) was introduced and was extremely effective in ridding the pond of the milfoil (EPA 1997). The weevil is also being used all over New England as well as many other states (Minnesota Pollution 1998). It has been found more effective in cold weather climates; in warmer climates, such as Florida and California, the weevil has been found to only work with only about 50% success (University of Florida 1997). Besides the weevil there are two other natural predators of the milfoil being used: the Acentria Ephemerella, (a native moth who feeds on the milfoil, while at the same time hiding in its leaves), and a caterpillar who likes to eat milfoil called Cricotopus Myriophylli (University of Florida 1997). Connecticut is also experimenting with the grass carp (Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection 1998).

I'm no expert on the subject this information was grabbed off the web so I can't comment on anything other than what it illustrates at face value.

[JakeLake]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

I believe this is what NH uses:

Two formulations of 2,4-D approved for aquatic use. The granular formulation contains the low-volatile butoxy-ethyl-ester formulation of 2,4-D (Trade names include AquaKleen® and Navigate®). The liquid formulation contains the dimethylamine salt of 2,4-D (Trade names include DMA*4IVM). 2,4-D is a relatively fast-acting, systemic, selective herbicide used for the control of Eurasian watermilfoil and other broad-leaved species. Both the granular and liquid formulations can be effective for spot treatment of Eurasian watermilfoil. 2,4-D has been shown to be selective to Eurasian watermilfoil when used at the labeled rate, leaving native aquatic species relatively unaffected.

Aside from chemical treatment, there have been natural predators used to control it with varying success, however the introduction of natural predators and the effects are still being studied. Clearly this is better than chemicals unless the predators do more harm than good....

I'm no expert on the subject this information was grabbed off the web so I can't comment on anything other than what it illustrates at face value.

I'm not some crazy tree hugger who spends his days on a soapbox, but after learning about DDT I tend to be skeptical when chemical's are deployed in the environment. I just finished reading the 41 page Tuftonboro report on Milfoil management. Aside from that I spent a little over an hour researching the main chemical "2,4-D".
- Link http://www.tuftonboro.org/Pages/Tuft...oards/ltmmplan -

My findings were that "2,4-D" is very effective, is inexpensive, and virtually eliminated the Milfoil where it was applied. This being said, there was one alarming element of the report that wasn't consistent and turned out to be contrary to scientific research..

"The Fish and Game Department suggests that herbicidal milfoil treatments should not be permitted within 100 meters of any nests. The method of application, by motorboat and/or airboat, may result in nest abandonment and loss of eggs and/or loon chicks, as well as herbicide damage to the floating aquatic plants. (Page 12)"

"To the extent feasible, the permitting authority favors the use of selective herbicides that, where used appropriately, will control the target plant with little or no impact to non-target species, such that the ecological functions of native plants for habitat, lake ecology, and chemistry/biology will be maintained. Not all aquatic plants will be impacted as a result of an herbicide treatment. (Page 20)"
...So it will have little to no impact to non-target species, but not all aquatic plants will be impacted as a result of the herbicide treatment, while at the same time it can't be sprayed near a loon's nest because there may be herbicide damage to floating aquatic plants?

Hmm, well I found this in a report.. "Effects on birds: 2,4-D is slightly toxic to wildfowl and slightly to moderately toxic to birds. The LD50 is 1000 mg/kg in mallards, 272 mg/kg in pheasants, and 668 mg/kg in quail and pigeons [5-7]." The source isn't some environmental obsessed group, its "A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program."
- Link: http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/24-D.htm -

Well thats interesting.. I guess we're suppose to just "Drink the Kool aid" and hope none of the birds do..

[SAB1]

I suspect if they are using 2 4 D to control the milfoil they would be using it in a pelletized form that would sink to the bottom and attack the roots of the plant. Spraying would seem to be applied to floating weeds.

[Diver1111]

Meredith Weekender-sounds like you should take pictures of those mussels you see around your doc and send them to Amy at DES this Spring.

Radioman-is there a version of the invasives brochure you can post on the Forum?

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I find it odd that the NH Fish and Game stocks our lakes and rivers with rainbow and brown trout. Both could be considered invasive here as they are not native to our waters.

Dave:

These are gamefish that can't reproduce in most areas that they are stocked. Further, they don't tend to cause significant change to other species. Therefore, I don't consider them "invasive". If the stocking programs were stopped these fish would quickly fade away. Zebra Mussels and Milfoil on the other hand are near impossible to eliminate once introduced.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

While I agree milfoil is a big issue The long term eco effects of spraying far outweigh the benefits in my opinion. There just has to be another way...what that is I do not know...

Dan

What that is Dan is what my sisters are doing at a little lake (Baboosic) in S NH.They are carefully pulling each plant by hand.They have areas that are monitored on a regular basis and painstackingly "weeded".Lots of hands on work.We'll see how effective this is.

[JakeLake]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

What that is Dan is what my sisters are doing at a little lake (Baboosic) in S NH.They are carefully pulling each plant by hand.They have areas that are monitored on a regular basis and painstackingly "weeded".Lots of hands on work.We'll see how effective this is.

Although what Your sisters are doing on Baboosic is admirable and effective, I can't imagine this method being practical on Winni. I did a quick rough calculation... (I'm no accountant so If I embarrassed myself here I'll play it off like an April fools joke )

... Baboosic is 4 miles around, Winni is 180. If Your 2 sisters are working alone, you would need 90 workers to cover the same distance on Winni. This would require boats, scuba gear, insurance.. the whole 9. If these 90 workers made the average NH salary this would amount to $5.1 Million combined a year.. Not factoring in equipment, Insurance, and what I'm sure is an incredibly expensive disposal operation.

I think the most practical solution is to stop the entry of Invasive species by having mandatory inspections before placing a craft in the water. I know this isn't the most desirable Idea, but if it can prolong the life of the lake its worth it. Once the bleeding is cut off we can switch the focus to removing these invasive's.

[Marauder]

Originally Posted by meredith weekender

We are located in Meredith Bay and some type of Mussels have been taking over our area for the last 5 years. As the lake warms up, they come in all around our dock and into the shallow waters. We could fill a 5 gallon pail in about 30 minutes. They get worse every year.

We are in Meredith Bay also and have noticed the complete loss of crayfish!!

[Onshore]

I forwarded this thread to the Exotic Species Coordinator here at DES and she requested that I post the following message:

Anyone who’d like to have a specimen from the lake identified for verification of whether or not it is native or invasive can simply take a digital picture of it with a camera or cell phone and email it to me at Amy.Smagula@des.nh.gov. I will reply back with an identification, and if it’s invasive I’ll follow up on location information/etc.

Amy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy P. Smagula
Limnologist/Exotic Species Program Coordinator
NH DES
29 Hazen Drive
Concord, NH 03301

[radioman]

For the past 4 years I have worked for the NH Lakes Assoc. as part of the Lake Host Program. We are the people who can be found at most major ramps in the state inspecting boats and trailers for evidence of nuisance aquatic species passing from one body of water to another. As of November of 2014 there have not been any confirmed cases of either Zebra Mussels, Quagga Mussels or Asian Clams in either Winni or Winnisquam. They are however, not very far away!

New Hampshire Lakes has a very well done and up to date brochure covering this subject in much depth. The brochure is available at both Meredith Marine and at Shep Browns or if you wish give me a call at 603-279-0918