Herbicide Treatment Update
PERMITS APPROVED BUT EURASIAN MILFOIL NOT UP YET! NO HERBICIDE TREATMENT IN 2025. In mid-June, the CLF’s application for herbicide treatment of four beds in the Upper Lake, including the South Inlet, was approved by the Adirondack Park Agency. Then, on Thursday, June 26, the NYS DEC approved the companion work plan to treat the state underwater lands in the South Inlet (Bed W). This was exciting news! However, the required pre-treatment survey of milfoil conditions, conducted on June 13, showed that milfoil had yet to emerge. A follow-up survey earlier this week confirmed lagging emergence—only one stand in the western bay of the South Inlet was in evidence. This is probably due to a cold and rainy spring. The lake temperature was only 62 degrees at the time of the mid-June survey and water levels were high, which shades out growth. Regulatory agency policy sets a deadline of June 30 to treat with herbicide, to minimize impacts to non-target plants that usually emerge later than Eurasian milfoil. Because conditions are not appropriate for treatment prior to the deadline, the CLF will hold off on ProcellaCOR EC treatment this year.
The good news is that the permit approvals will be valid for two years, in the case of APA, and five years in the case of the DEC work plan. We can now plan with confidence. We will be exploring the possibility of extending the treatment window for cold northerly lakes such as Chateaugay beyond the current June 30th deadline.
We thank all those who submitted supportive comments for treatment. The APA received 88 comments in favor and only two opposed.
This season, with support from the Towns of Bellmont, Ellenburg, and Dannemora, the CLF will be conducting hand-harvesting in the areas that have been priorities for control. These include the Lower Lake inlet, the Narrows south of the bridge that was treated last year, and parts of the Upper Lake. The hand-harvesting work is scheduled for mid-July, the weeks of July 14 and July 21. Further details forthcoming.
