The state Department of Environmental Conservation recently approved herbicide applications in those three locations as well as in the town of Busti. Applications of Aquathol K will be from May 10-21 in Ellery, Lakewood and Ellicott while applications of ProcellaCor will take place June 7-18 in Busti and Ellery.

Lakewood was approved to treat 58.1 acres of Chautauqua Lake with Aquathol K in six zones of the lake within Lakewood’s borders.

“The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation has reviewed the application submitted to the department seeking permission to apply the aquatic herbicide Aquathol K to control curly-leaf pondweed,” Robert Freese, DEC pesticide control specialist II wrote to Ellen Barnes, Lakewood deputy mayor. “The department has found the application to be permittable based on vegetation studies from the previous year and is issuing the permit as requested.”

The other three permits saw the requested acreage for herbicide applications trimmed by the DEC. All included guidance to update maps of the treatment areas within the north basin of the lake to include the boundaries of Midway State Park and Long Point State Park.

Busti was permitted for 11 acres of ProcellaCOR EC to control eurasian watermilfoil in the area from Lakewood Beach to the Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club.

“This area was determined to have medium density of (eurasian watermilfoil),” Freese wrote. “The other areas requested had trace or sparce densities of (eurasian watermilfoil) or were considered critical fish habitat and are not permitted at this time.”

Ellicott received a permit to apply Aquathol K and ProcellaCOR EC in Burtis Bay within Ellicott and Celoron. Aquathol K was approved to treat curly-leaf pondweed in 160 acres of the lake but not in three treatment zones.

“As for the application to treat eurasian watermilfoil with ProcellaCor EC, DEC denies this application in full,” Freese wrote. “The vegetation studies from 2020 indicate only trace to sparse amounts of (eurasian watermilfoil) within the proposed treatment areas. The department is also concerned about removing too much aquatic vegetation from the same areas within a short period of time.”

Ellery, meanwhile, was approved for Aquathol K to control curly-leaf pondweed in 100 acres of the town’s requested 127 acres and ProcellaCor EC in 51 acres of the lake within Ellery’s borders to control eurasian watermilfoil.

“DEC approves, in part, the application for Aquathol K to treat curly-leaf pondweed in most of the requested areas and is permitting approximately 100 acres of the requested 127 acres,” Freese wrote. “Areas not permitted were determined to be critical fish habitat and will not be permitted at this time. As for the application to treat eurasian watermilfoil with ProcellaCor EC, the department is permitting treatment of approximately 51 acres. The vegetation studies from 2020 indicate only trace to sparce amounts of (eurasian watermilfoil) within most of the proposed treatment areas. Critical fish habitat and a concern for removing too much aquatic vegetation in the same areas within a short period of time were also factors in our determination.”

The herbicides will be administered by Solitude Lake Management LLC, the same company that has administered previous herbicide applications. Before the treatments take place, property owners and users must be notified and warning signs posted.

Areas treated with Aquathol K must be closed for swimming until the day after the herbicides are applied and should not be used for drinking water until water sampling shows endothall acid concentrations have dissipated to safe levels.

Areas treated with ProcellaCor have no swimming restrictions, but there are limitations on using ProcellaCor-treated water for agricultural crop, greenhouse, nursery and hydroponic irrigation, irrigation of landscape vegetation and livestock watering until concentrations of the herbicide dissipate.