NEWS
RELEASE
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
September 24, 1998
CONTACT: Mike Hulon (407) 846-5300
HERBICIDE TREATMENTS SCHEDULED FOR KISSIMMEE CHAIN THIS MONTH
A total of 2,700 acres of cattail, pickerelweed (also known as flags), smartweed and lily pads on the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes are scheduled to be treated with herbicides beginning Monday, Sept. 28. (See the Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System for photos of aquatic plants and other information) Herbicide treatments will be applied from the air by helicopter and should take a couple of weeks, weather permitting.
The targeted plants are rapidly growing aquatic plants that can form undesirable floating tussocks, which are detrimental to fish production. The herbicides Rodeo (the aquatic form of Roundup) and Weedar (2,4-D) will be applied at very low rates to control specific plants. Both herbicides are approved for aquatic use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The majority of cattail and flags, and some lily pads, are currently growing in water only 2-3 feet deep. The life cycle of these rapidly expanding plants in shallow water contributes to fisheries habitat degradation. This happens when the plants die and the resulting organic by-product, or muck, accumulates on the lake bottom, which ultimately results in the loss of healthy fisheries habitat.
"The rapid growth and expansion of these native plants have severely degraded shallow water fisheries habitat in our lakes," said Adriene Furukawa, a fisheries biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). "Each year these plants continue to expand, the depth of muck increases, and fisheries habitat is lost. By treating these plants now, before they become too extensive, we reduce muck build-up, extend the period between whole-lake drawdowns, and subsequently provide shallow water sites for both sportfish and anglers."
The FWC and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will coordinate and supervise all aerial treatments; the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has provided funding and permits for the treatments.
The following areas are scheduled to be treated: