NOTICES
FISH AND BOAT COMMISSION
Proposal for Use of Herbicide; Conneaut Lake, Crawford County
[35 Pa.B. 5435] The Executive Director of the Fish and Boat Commission (Commission), acting under the authority of 30 Pa.C.S. § 2504(a)(1) (relating to pollution of waters), may authorize the use of any method or means to collect, eradicate or control fish (including aquatic plants) for purposes of research and fish management. This authorization generally takes the form of issuance of a joint Commission/Department of Environmental Protection ''Permit for Use of an Algicide, Herbicide or Fish Control Chemical in Waters of the Commonwealth.''
The Commission has received a proposal from the Conneaut Lake Aquatic Management Association (CLAMA) to conduct a lake-wide aquatic vegetation treatment in Conneaut Lake, Crawford County, in 2006. Conneaut Lake is a 929-acre natural lake that is owned by the Commonwealth. Conneaut Lake has been treated in the last 10 years with Reward (active ingredient diquat dibromide), a contact herbicide, to control the exotic invasive plant Eurasian watermilfoil, Myriophyllum spicatum. Additionally, occurrence of the potentially invasive plant Cabomba caroliniana or fanwort has expanded, and spot treatment of 2 acres was approved in 2004 and 2005 using a systemic herbicide, Sonar (active ingredient fluridone). Cabomba is more resistant to herbicides than Eurasian watermilfoil. Conneaut Lake contains a diverse aquatic plant community. Diversity of submerged plants has increased since 1988.
CLAMA proposes lake-wide treatment of Conneaut Lake with a moderate dose (8 to 12 parts per million fluridone) of Sonar A. S. to eradicate both Eurasian watermilfoil and Cabomba. A reduction in overall plant diversity and impacts to nontarget species such as elodea (Elodea sp.) and coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) is expected, and recovery of native species is expected 1 to 3 years after treatment.
Commission staff have identified four possible courses of action and invite public comments regarding them:
(1) No treatment. Treatment with an aquatic herbicide would not be approved, and Eurasian watermilfoil, Cabomba and native vegetation would grow unimpeded.
(2) Treatment to be the same as 2004 and 2005. Up to 90 acres of vegetation would be treated with Reward or an alternative product for dense Eurasian watermilfoil beds and spot treatment of Cabomba with Sonar would be approved. Recent results have shown temporary control of Eurasian watermilfoil and effective control of Cabomba in areas of spot treatment. The occurrence and range of Cabomba would be expected to expand under this option.
(3) Selective treatment of Eurasian watermilfoil with expanded spot treatment of Cabomba. An extensive plant survey would be required to identify and target Cabomba treatment areas. Expected treatment would include up to 90 acres with a product and dose (equivalent to or similar to 0.75 gallon per acre Reward) that targets Eurasian watermilfoil and a product and dose (equivalent or similar to the 12 parts per million Sonar A. S.) that targets identified Cabomba areas. Cabomba control would not be as effective as lake-wide treatment if the active ingredient could not be contained in the target area. Additional pretreatment expense for surveys would be incurred, and a smaller treatment area for Cabomba would be expected with this option than with lake-wide treatment.
(4) Lake-wide treatment with Fluridone as proposed by CLAMA. As explained previously, a moderate dose of 8 to 12 parts per million fluridone would be administered to the entire lake. CLAMA anticipates that effective control of Cabomba and control of Eurasian watermilfoil for more than 1 year may occur. Diversity and numbers of nontarget plants would be reduced for an estimated 1 to 3 years, and the composition of the resulting plant community may be different.
Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, objections or suggestions about the four alternatives to the Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission, P. O. Box 67000, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000, within 60 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Comments submitted by facsimile will not be accepted.
Comments also may be submitted electronically by completing the form at www.state.pa.us/Fish/regcomments. If an acknowledgment of electronic comments is not received by the sender within 2 working days, the comments should be retransmitted to ensure receipt.
DOUGLAS J. AUSTEN, Ph.D.,
Executive Director
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-1831. Filed for public inspection September 30, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]
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