07-02-2009, 11:10 AM
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will hold public meetings in July on proposals to improve fishing by treating more than two dozen lakes and one stream in eastern Washington with rotenone.
"The treatments we are proposing are designed to reduce numbers of undesirable fish such as carp, tench, and stunted sunfish that compete with game fish and destroy aquatic vegetation," said WDFW fish biologist Jim Uehara.<br />
Under WDFW's plan, the waters would be treated this fall and next spring. After treatment, fishing lakes would be re-stocked in spring with preferred fish species, Uehara said.<br />
Rotenone is a naturally-occurring substance derived from the roots of tropical plants. WDFW and other fish and wildlife agencies have used rotenone for more than 60 years to rehabilitate lake and stream fisheries. Rotenone is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a fish pesticide, and is regulated in this state through the Washington departments of Ecology and Agriculture.<br />
The public meetings are scheduled at the following places and times:<br />
"¢ Ephrata, July 14, 6 p.m., WDFW Northcentral Region Office, 1550 Alder St. N.W.<br />
"¢ Usk, July 14, 6:30 p.m., Kalispel Tribe of Indians Camas Center, 1821 N. LeClerc Rd.<br />
"¢ Olympia, July 15, 7 p.m., Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St S.E., Room 172.<br />
"¢ Spokane Valley, July 15, 6:30 p.m., WDFW Eastern Region Office, 2315 N. Discovery Place.<br />
"¢ Twisp, July 16, 7 p.m., Aspen Professional Building, 20268 Hwy. 20<br />
Waters proposed for treatment and fish species targeted for removal are:<br />
"¢ Fourth of July Lake (Adams and Lincoln counties) to remove fathead minnows.<br />
"¢ Dune, Harris, Sedge and Tern lakes and 16 Ponds in the Desert Wildlife Area (Grant County) to remove bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish, carp and largemouth bass.<br />
"¢ Canal, Heart, June, Windmill, North Windmill, North North Windmill, Pit and North Teal lakes (Grant County) to remove pumpkinseed sunfish and carp.<br />
"¢ Beda and Brookies lakes (Grant County) to remove pumpkinseed sunfish.<br />
"¢ Fishtrap Lake (Lincoln and Spokane counties) to remove bullhead catfish, tench, pumpkinseed sunfish, and yellow perch.<br />
"¢ Buck Lake (Okanogan County) to remove yellow perch.<br />
"¢ Cee-Cee-Ah Creek (Pend Oreille County) to remove non-native trout as part of a project to restore native westslope cutthroat trout.<br />
"¢ Hog (Canyon) Lake and associated waters (Spokane County) to remove bullhead catfish, tench, pumpkinseed sunfish, and yellow perch.<br />
"¢ West Medical Lake (Spokane County) to remove pumpkinseed sunfish, tench, and goldfish.<br />
Besides offering input at the public meetings, interested people can post comments on the proposals July 1- 31 on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/sepa/sepa.htm , as part of the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) process. WDFW also will accept written comments received by Aug. 15. Written comments should be addressed to Jim Uehara, Fish Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.<br />
A final decision on the lake treatment proposals is scheduled to be made in late August by the WDFW director.
"The treatments we are proposing are designed to reduce numbers of undesirable fish such as carp, tench, and stunted sunfish that compete with game fish and destroy aquatic vegetation," said WDFW fish biologist Jim Uehara.<br />
Under WDFW's plan, the waters would be treated this fall and next spring. After treatment, fishing lakes would be re-stocked in spring with preferred fish species, Uehara said.<br />
Rotenone is a naturally-occurring substance derived from the roots of tropical plants. WDFW and other fish and wildlife agencies have used rotenone for more than 60 years to rehabilitate lake and stream fisheries. Rotenone is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a fish pesticide, and is regulated in this state through the Washington departments of Ecology and Agriculture.<br />
The public meetings are scheduled at the following places and times:<br />
"¢ Ephrata, July 14, 6 p.m., WDFW Northcentral Region Office, 1550 Alder St. N.W.<br />
"¢ Usk, July 14, 6:30 p.m., Kalispel Tribe of Indians Camas Center, 1821 N. LeClerc Rd.<br />
"¢ Olympia, July 15, 7 p.m., Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St S.E., Room 172.<br />
"¢ Spokane Valley, July 15, 6:30 p.m., WDFW Eastern Region Office, 2315 N. Discovery Place.<br />
"¢ Twisp, July 16, 7 p.m., Aspen Professional Building, 20268 Hwy. 20<br />
Waters proposed for treatment and fish species targeted for removal are:<br />
"¢ Fourth of July Lake (Adams and Lincoln counties) to remove fathead minnows.<br />
"¢ Dune, Harris, Sedge and Tern lakes and 16 Ponds in the Desert Wildlife Area (Grant County) to remove bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish, carp and largemouth bass.<br />
"¢ Canal, Heart, June, Windmill, North Windmill, North North Windmill, Pit and North Teal lakes (Grant County) to remove pumpkinseed sunfish and carp.<br />
"¢ Beda and Brookies lakes (Grant County) to remove pumpkinseed sunfish.<br />
"¢ Fishtrap Lake (Lincoln and Spokane counties) to remove bullhead catfish, tench, pumpkinseed sunfish, and yellow perch.<br />
"¢ Buck Lake (Okanogan County) to remove yellow perch.<br />
"¢ Cee-Cee-Ah Creek (Pend Oreille County) to remove non-native trout as part of a project to restore native westslope cutthroat trout.<br />
"¢ Hog (Canyon) Lake and associated waters (Spokane County) to remove bullhead catfish, tench, pumpkinseed sunfish, and yellow perch.<br />
"¢ West Medical Lake (Spokane County) to remove pumpkinseed sunfish, tench, and goldfish.<br />
Besides offering input at the public meetings, interested people can post comments on the proposals July 1- 31 on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/sepa/sepa.htm , as part of the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) process. WDFW also will accept written comments received by Aug. 15. Written comments should be addressed to Jim Uehara, Fish Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.<br />
A final decision on the lake treatment proposals is scheduled to be made in late August by the WDFW director.