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Chautauqua Lake Weed Management Demonstration Project Begins

Agents of SOLitude Lake Management apply Navigate, a granular herbicide to one of the three DEC approved zones in Bemus Bay on Monday. P-J photo by Remington Whitcomb

BEMUS POINT — A spray boat left the Bemus Point launch just after 11 a.m. on Monday to initiate a limited application of two herbicides on Chautauqua Lake.

With the weather permitting, the application marked the beginning to the Chautauqua Lake Partnership’s weed management demonstration project — an effort to eliminate looming weeds and a stench that’s upset residents. The project is evaluating the effectiveness of two different herbicides in Aquathol-K, or Endothall, and Navigate, or 2,4-D.

Three areas of Bemus Bay were authorized by the DEC for treatment. SOLitude Lake Management crews placed their watercraft in the lake and set out alongside DEC staff to spray four test plots within the target areas. Two control plots were set up to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative aquatic vegetation management strategies within Bemus Bay.

“The whole thing is a research study to see if herbicides we’ve chosen are effective and what the impact would be on the native weeds and on invasive weeds,” said Karen Rine, CLP secretary and former president. “We need to look at other methods besides weed harvesting.”

Primary goals for spraying include examining how effective Aquathol-K and Navigate are on invasive species like Eurasian water milfoil and curly-leaf pondweed. Impacts on how native species respond and assessing drift into control zones are other project missions.

Water samples were taken to measure the chemical’s concentration in the water. One herbicide was placed in the target zones while the other was applied underwater.

The town of Ellery and village of Bemus Point applied for permits to conduct the spraying. Arden Johnson, Ellery supervisor, said he hopes the spraying cleans up the Bemus end of Chautauqua Lake.

“I’ve heard from hundreds of residents that say the smell is bad,” he said. “It certainly will affect business in this area if something isn’t done.”

The Chautauqua Lake Association posed questions about the scientific methods being utilized and recommended the project shouldn’t proceed. However, Doug Conroe, CLA executive director, said his biggest concern right now is the lack of publicity and the signs posted around the lake stating not to swim. The CLA is not involved with the spraying project.

“That is misleading because there are places that you can swim,” Conroe said “People are coming in now and for the Fourth of July. Our office is receiving phones calls saying can I swim in the lake or can’t I? We’ve already had questions from people in the Mayville area asking whether or not they can go in the lake. Plus there are a lot of people who access the lake not through boat ramps that aren’t going to know. We need clearer information out there.”

Signs are posted around Bemus Bay telling people not to use treated water for animal consumption or domestic uses for 24 hours after treatment. That’s contrary to what was found in a June 20 permit, which stated to refrain from using water from treated areas for animal consumption for 14 days. The permit was revised June 22 to read no animal consumption of water for 24 hours after treatment.

Glenn Sullivan, certified lake manager with SOLitude, said the change is based on new research and the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to remove or reduce restrictions.

“Over the years, there was additional research done that showed that the restrictions that were previously on the label (of the chemical product) weren’t necessary anymore,” he said. “The manufacturer is the one that asks the EPA if it can be removed from the label based on the research. EPA says “yes” or “no” and then the manufacturer changes the label.”

Posted signs tell individuals not to swim, bath, or fish in treated areas of Bemus Bay for 24 hours after treatment. People in that area shouldn’t use lake water for drinking or watering flowers, gardens or crops until signs are removed by the CLP.

Sullivan said the spraying would last one day. The operation usually goes for six to eight hours.

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