Aquatic Conservation TaskfForce - ACT!
Lake Luzerne has been invaded - Here's how to Fight it!
For a very good discussion of all the ways to combat Milfoil, and their pros and cons, see http://www.lakebottomblanket.com/linkpage.html andhttp://www.aquatics.org/pubs/madsen2.htm
Herbicides are very effective, but are very expensive and must be applied only by experts. If used improperly they can devastate a
lake. Herbicides are not now permitted in the Adirondack Park.
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Introducing natural predators – such as these ugly grass carp – has had limited success. They eat Milfoil, but everything else
as well. And their waste can fill a small lake with green algae.
Harvesting – pulling the plants, or cutting them off, is largely a cosmetic solution. Just as cutting grass encourages new growth,
so is harvesting Milfoil. And worse yet, floating pieces left behind can re-root in another area.
There are a number of ways to combat Milfoil, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Here are the most common:
Benthic mats or barriers placed on the bottom of the lake cut off sunlight and will kill Milfoil in about 30 days. But they kill all
plant life, not just Milfoil. Those used by the "Pirates", were very difficult to make, and cumbersome to place and remove.
"Lake Bottom Blankets" made by a firm in NJ seem an ideal replacement for the Pirates mats. They are 4 times as large, and much
easier to place and remove. ACT! will use these in 2008 and thereafter.
This is a weevil - called E. Lecontei. He's the size of a pin-point, and already in the lake - if you swim you have probably
already sucked-in many! They feast only on Milfoil. ACT will be working with scientists during 2008 to see if the weevil
population can be augmented to provide a natural and permanent control over Milfoil.
