To stop an invasive plant from taking over Lone Star Lake, the Douglas County Commission has agreed to spray the water with herbicides.
Eurasian watermilfoil, an exotic plant that can spread quickly, is growing in the southwest Douglas County water body.
If left unabated, the plant can damage the health of the lake, according to Richard Sanders, a fisheries biologist with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.
Currently the plant covers about 10 percent of the east arm of the lake, which is near the swimming beach, and is sporadic in other sections. The county would use the herbicides 24-D Granular or Aquathol-K to kill the plants.
“Normally, fisheries love to see aquatic vegetation. But this is an exotic form of vegetation. It grows so aggressively that it invades areas down to 20 feet deep,” Sanders told the commission.
The plant can create a huge canopy on the surface, making it difficult for those boating, fishing or swimming to navigate. It could also decrease the number of native plants and lower the amount of oxygen in the water, which would kill fish.
“Either eradicate now or live with it,” Sanders said.
The decision isn’t without controversy. In 2009, after several years of spraying to prevent curly-leaf pond weed from growing at the lake, the county stopped applying herbicides.
While those with cabins around the lake wanted to spray, environmentalists and fishermen opposed spraying the herbicide because they said the weeds provided a nursery for fish during the spawning season. Sanders was among those who spoke against spraying.
The county no longer sprays for curly-leaf pond weed, mainly because the plant dies off before the growing season. The same is not true for Eurasian watermilfoil.
This time around, Sanders believes the plant should be killed with chemicals before it continues to spread.
Comments
DillonBarnes 11 months, 4 weeks ago
Don't worry hippies, your paranoid conservative neighbor probably has a gasmask you can borrow.
wissmo 11 months, 4 weeks ago
Need to spray more than just Lone Star algae growing in all our area lakes. Much more than in the past.
tolawdjk 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Gotta love them phosphates.
Joe Hyde 11 months, 4 weeks ago
This will be the first time I've attached a web link to one of my posts in the online J-W. Here goes:
The Wikipedia information is worth reading if you're an angler who fishes Lone Star Lake. It wouldn't hurt non-fishing folks to inform themselves about this plant, too, considering its ability to piggy-back from one body of water to the next.
One sentence in particular stands out to me: "Watermilfoil can reproduce from the smallest fragment of plant." What this means for everybody, including swimmers, is that the rooted section is not the only part to worry about if we want to help avoid spreading the plant elsewhere after we leave the lake.
allanfieldhouse 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Specifically read the "Control" section of the wikipedia article where they talk about several natural methods of controlling the watermilfoil without resorting to spraying poisons in the water.
JackMcKee 11 months, 3 weeks ago
I bet that lady who was picking her snow peas out of her weed infested yard uses organic pest control. The only organic weed control I've ever found that worked was pulling them and that's some time consuming work that can only really be effective on a very small scale.
Joe Hyde 11 months, 3 weeks ago
I read it.
Who's gonna do that?
JackMcKee 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Boog had an "organic" yard. He probably had all kinds of interesting things growing around his old house.
consumer1 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Has this been approved by the local granola squad? Their motto, "we mind everyone's business except our own"!
asixbury 11 months, 3 weeks ago
+1 lol
bigdave 11 months, 3 weeks ago
+2 !
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Too bad this sight doesn't allow you to emphasize that by smashing a beer can into your forehead-- make that three beer cans in honor of your groupies.
asixbury 11 months, 3 weeks ago
I take it you are one of those belonging to the "granola squad" judging by you taking personal offense to consumer's statement?
I am all about preserving nature. But killing off an invasive, non-native plant before it gets out of control is good for Lone Star in the long run, and for the rest of Kansas. Much more harm can be had from this plant overrunning the area than using these herbicides to destroy it.
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