Phrag spraying @ UL

[a_bow_nut]

Just a heads up. They have been spraying some of the phrag by the Lindon Boat Harbor.


http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/54665...h.html.csp
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[pacscrumhalf]

I took some scouts down for summer camp to Utah Lake State Park and for our service, spent 3 days clearing about an acre of that stuff. It took almost 100 man hours to clear it all out. It was the dry stuff thatched on the ground that was the toughest.
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[fish_fear_me2]

I wonder if the spray has any effect on the fish that will no doubt be in the area. Does anybody have any insights on that one? I would be happy to see more of the shorline open like it was before all the stuff started growing.
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[Troll]

Probably not much. By the time the phrags come in there is no water left for fish.
The spraying is being done by helicopter so it is very accurate as to where is sprayed and where is not.
They have to be killed before they seed. They are not a tuber spreader like cattails which seem to come back better after treatments.

They have been spraying and burning Phrags on the GSL swamps for several years now. It helps alot.
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[Fin-S-Fish]

A waste of tax dollars on utah lake in my opinion. That phrag is excellent gamefish habitat and breeding grounds. A phragmites free utah lake will mean an LMB, bluegill, and crappieless lake. I don't support widespread Phrag control on utah lake period. Pretty soon it will be a useless sucker fishery LOL.
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[fish_or_die]

obviously, you haven't studied much on Phragmite.

That stuff is just behind carp in the amount of damage it does on the ecosystem at utah lake, very bad stuff. It offers very little cover for game fish and is not "excellent habitat". Do some research on it and you'll understand why it's worth our tax dollars to protect our state's wetlands and shore lines.

Death to Phragmite!
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[FattyGreens]

WASTE OF TAX DOLLARS? LOL best money they have ever spent on that like or any other with the stuff around it. Do a little research, the natural habitat trumps phrag in every way possible. If choking out natural flows and killing all the vegitation off the bottom of the lake is good habitat I must be . Not to mention the irreparable damage all the roots will leave behind.
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[fishnate]

[quote fish_fear_me2]I wonder if the spray has any effect on the fish that will no doubt be in the area.[/quote]

With the June sucker in the lake and new federal regulations on spraying herbicide in water you can bet they are using herbicide approved and safe for aquatic animal species. They won't take any risk of harming non target species.
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[Therapist]

Phragmites are really bad. There are areas of the lake that had the natural bullrushes that are now all phragmites. Bullrushes have space between them that the fish can use for cover !! Phragmites are so closely packed together that nothing can use them other than the edges. In addition, they dry out more than the natural cattails and bullrushes and become a major fire danger. They have sprayed on the north end of the lake and now you have large areas of dead, dried out phragmites. I know that there is also a large eradication program on them in the marshes of the GSL where they have choked out the natural vegetation !! By the way, this spraying program is part of the June Sucker Recovery program !!!

[fish_fear_me2]

Good point!!! I keep forgetting that any management efforts at UL must be safe for the beloved Junie[:p]s
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