Hydrilla spraying on the Kissimmee Chain

[BARON49_Northern NY]

Read where they sprayed both Toho and Kissimme around mid-Dec/2009. Anyone know how much of the hydrilla has been effected by the spraying?

[FD.]

Yep, they are very efficient. Most of it is gone.  I wrote the FWC complaining about it.  Lot of good that will do.

[Nitro 882]

That sure as hell figures--I just booked a trip there in Feb.

[Steve P.]

Yep, they are very efficient. Most of it is gone. I wrote the FWC complaining about it. Lot of good that will do.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't aquatic vegatation control  done by the water management district and NOT FWC?

[FD.]

Steve

The FWC has a questionaire online where they ask about spraying and aquatic vegetation.  Since they asked for my opinion I felt it necessary to "expound" on my answers. :

[RoLo]

Ah the Baron is back!

Did you give up on the St John's River drainage?

Steve P is correct, it's the South Florida Water Management District

that physically sprays the lakes, but I'm sure the decision-making process extends to the FWC.

The South Florida District is a gerrymandered jurisdiction that stretches from Miami-Dade

all the way north to Lake County (through central Florida).

Baron, the state spray programs are highly effective, and ever since the hurricane-trio of 2004,

the state is staying well ahead of the curve and I suppose they intend to keep it that way.

Does anyone remember when the WMD spray helicopter crash landed in 2008?

It crashed in Lake Toho near Southport.

Roger

[warmer]

lee,

i stopped at the fwc hatchery on 471, and talked w/ a biologist there.  apparently they had responsibility for hydro awhile back, then it shifted to dep.  now they have it back.

fwc is commited to control or management of hydro.

whereas dep is commited to eradication of hydro.

fwc believes that 20% coverage is optimal for the fish.

im confident that if you head up to toho youll find there is a lot more hydro than you think.  there is fresh and nice hydro @ goblets, reds, shingle, mackinson, and south of browns.   this cold tends to knock it back and make it "stringy" similarly to the way spraying does, but you go drag a cackalaki rig and a trap and youll find what you like.

as far as k. goes, n. cove, housboat, s of brahma, east wall, philli, turkey ridge, and ford country all have it (school bus is loaded too).  i havent found any deeper water hydro there in a long time, and would love to, but its there.

all that to say, i think we will find the fwc to be a lot more thoughtful about their approach than dep.

[BARON49_Northern NY]

Rolo,

Yes, I gave up on the St. Johns River. I headed down to the Kissimmee Chain of lakes a actually was able to catch a few fish. Have really enjoyed the central Florida area and all the lakes. Got spoiled with fishing the hydrilla but when I got there last year all the hydrilla in the southern and middle section of Toho was gone. Just wanted to see how effective they were again this year so I have some idea as to where to start this year.

[Steve P.]

Steve

The FWC has a questionaire online where they ask about spraying and aquatic vegetation. Since they asked for my opinion I felt it necessary to "expound" on my answers. :

Things must be different over there at Disney World. Over here, SJWMD does what they want. FWC has no say in the matter. At least that's what a couple guys from FWC told me.

If FWC REALLY had any pull, they wouldn't have allowed your Hydrilla to be "almost completely gone", now would they? I'm sure you weren't the first guy to fill out that survey either. Excuse me for using simple logic.

[FD.]

Taken from the FWC website:

"What is being done about Florida's aquatic weed problems?

Federal, state, and local agencies spend millions of dollars each year to control aquatic weeds in Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been designated by the Florida Legislature as the lead agency to control aquatic weed problems in public waters. The Invasive Plant Management section administers funding programs for this control and issues permits for private and commercial aquatic weed control. Also, there are laws restricting the importation and cultivation of foreign aquatic weed pests to prevent the establishment of new weeds. Research on the chemical, biological and mechanical control of aquatic weeds presently is conducted by scientists at Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, United States Department of Agriculture, United States Army Corps of Engineers and many of Florida's major universities."

Here is the link to the whole document. http://www.myfwc.com/WILDLIFEHABITATS/InvasivePlants_faq.htm#140

[arul]

just FYI-  BIPM (Bureau of Invasive Plant Management) used to be a DEP (Department of Environmental Protection)agency but has since moved to be under FFWCC.  They essentially still do the same role, just got moved closer to their coordination points.

That being said, it is quite interesting all that goes into the scheduling and coordination of the hydrilla management.  You have endangered Snail Kites, which have issue with the invasive apple snails, which are affected by the hydrilla, which the fish like, which the recreational crowd find a nuisance, so it is kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Without saying who I work for,    , just trust me when I say the "powers at be" truly are experts in what they are doing, so don't worry too much about it.  They are doing their best not trying to tilt the balance too far in one direction of all the different concerns that come into play.

[RoLo]

just FYI- BIPM (Bureau of Invasive Plant Management) used to be a DEP (Department of Environmental Protection)agency but has since moved to be under FFWCC. They essentially still do the same role, just got moved closer to their coordination points.

That being said, it is quite interesting all that goes into the scheduling and coordination of the hydrilla management. You have endangered Snail Kites, which have issue with the invasive apple snails, which are affected by the hydrilla, which the fish like, which the recreational crowd find a nuisance, so it is kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Without saying who I work for, ;), just trust me when I say the "powers at be" truly are experts in what they are doing, so don't worry too much about it. They are doing their best not trying to tilt the balance too far in one direction of all the different concerns that come into play.

At the risk of going off topic, I have seen more snail kites in the past three years

than bald eagles, harriers or kestrels. I believe they're doing better than realized.

Roger