Pickerel Cove milfoil plan

[cishcap]

curious if anyone knows the long-term plan for managing milfoil in Pickerel Cove? or a contact or online resource? TX

[Descant]

Google something like NH DES Milfoil Management Plan Pickerel Cove
and you get to this:

https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/exoticspecies/documents/pickerel_cove.pdf

Hope this is what you wanted.

[cishcap]

Thank you for the link. I have noticed that all of the DES postings outline "proposed" work but little information on whether it was completed. My guess is that it is all about funding.
tx again

[Descant]

Proposed work because conditions may change. If the plan calls for treating three acres and the treatment this year was very successful., next year may only need one acre. DES, working with local groups develops the plan, but if there is chemical treatment involved, Dept of Agriculture has the approval authority. Yes, funding is a chore. Last I heard from the Exotic Aquatic Weeds and Species Committee, a one time infusion of $7 million would be necessary to really knock these problems down. We're trying to do it with several hundred thousand a year. Bless the volunteers that make this money go a long way.

[salesguy77]

curious if anyone knows the long-term plan for managing milfoil in Pickerel Cove? or a contact or online resource? TX

Good Morning- Feel free to contact me with any questions concerning Milfoil treatment on Paugus Bay. My email is richtilton@mypaugusbay.org. I am a local business owner and work with the City of Laconia and DES to coordinate treatment efforts. We have also established a non profit to help fund this program.

DES will be doing a survey of proposed treatment areas over the next few weeks. DASH work will be done later in August. The coves are always an area of concern.

I was trying to upload the proposed treatment map for 2020 but apparently I have exceeded my limit.

[swimfan]

I would be very hesitant to put chemicals in the water just to kill grass. That cannot be good for the wildlife in the lake. There are alternative methods like a grass harvesting machine.

[chasedawg]

I would be very hesitant to put chemicals in the water just to kill grass. That cannot be good for the wildlife in the lake. There are alternative methods like a grass harvesting machine.

Thank you Swim for your suggestion. What you have suggested using a harvest machine is the worst means of treating Milfoil. It has to be treated and then the roots of the plant have to be dug out. Using a grass harvesting method as you suggest just makes it worse. You should get informed on how Milfoil is treated properly. These methods have been used for several years now and all have been approved by DES.

[joey2665]

I would be very hesitant to put chemicals in the water just to kill grass. That cannot be good for the wildlife in the lake. There are alternative methods like a grass harvesting machine.

Honestly do not believe the DES would use a “chemical “ to kill milfoil that could harm wildlife. It would solve one problem for them but they would have another on their hands that would be worse.


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[upthesaukee]

I would be very hesitant to put chemicals in the water just to kill grass. That cannot be good for the wildlife in the lake. There are alternative methods like a grass harvesting machine.

The Merrymeeting River and the beach at Alton Bay are treated chemically for milfoil, and I have never seen a dead fish floating in the water. I kept my boat at Parker Marine on the river and likewise, never saw a dead fish floating down the river. And the two huge snapping turtles at Parker's continue to grow.

Dave

[tis]

They say it doesn't kill the fish etc. but people cannot drink the water for a month and can't swim for 24 hours after treatment.

[Descant]

They say it doesn't kill the fish etc. but people cannot drink the water for a month and can't swim for 24 hours after treatment.
I'm curious about the source for those statements, Tis. I was a non-professional member of the Exotic Aquatic Weeds and Species Committee with DES, Agriculture, and other professionals and I never heard these numbers. Much testing over many years EPA, agriculture, etc showed that 2-4D, professionally applied, was safe. Usually, three days was the time to not drink, but lab testing samples showed no residue in much shorter times. In an abundance of caution, to coin a phrase, The Dept of Agriculture would not issue permits for treatments anyplace there was even a remote hint of a detectable level. There is a new treatment called Perchloricide (sp?) which appears to require even less quantity to be effective. Nevertheless, first line of defense is prevention (Clean Drain, Dry), early detection , hand pulling by a trained certified diver (Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting, or DASH) and then other approaches which might include chemicals. "Cut and harvest" has not been used for probably 40 years as it broke milfoil into small pieces that drifted and reestablished itself in new locations.
In the past individuals have obtained and spread chemicals themselves, then flushed the area with their boat propeller. Dangerous in my book, but no way to study and evaluate rogue applications. Again, over many years, there appears to be no negative impact on native wildlife, fish or plants.

[tis]

I'm curious about the source for those statements, Tis. I was a non-professional member of the Exotic Aquatic Weeds and Species Committee with DES, Agriculture, and other professionals and I never heard these numbers. Much testing over many years EPA, agriculture, etc showed that 2-4D, professionally applied, was safe. Usually, three days was the time to not drink, but lab testing samples showed no residue in much shorter times. In an abundance of caution, to coin a phrase, The Dept of Agriculture would not issue permits for treatments anyplace there was even a remote hint of a detectable level. There is a new treatment called Perchloricide (sp?) which appears to require even less quantity to be effective. Nevertheless, first line of defense is prevention (Clean Drain, Dry), early detection , hand pulling by a trained certified diver (Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting, or DASH) and then other approaches which might include chemicals. "Cut and harvest" has not been used for probably 40 years as it broke milfoil into small pieces that drifted and reestablished itself in new locations.
In the past individuals have obtained and spread chemicals themselves, then flushed the area with their boat propeller. Dangerous in my book, but no way to study and evaluate rogue applications. Again, over many years, there appears to be no negative impact on native wildlife, fish or plants.

They put it in the Basin and just inside Winter Harbor and also 19 Mile Bay a few years ago and that is the source. They supplied drinking water and cooking water (required by law) to anyone that takes water from the lake or has a well within (I think) 50 feet of the lake. They also said not to water gardens with it. I know people that wouldn't shower in it though for the month. At the same time they said it wouldn't hurt the loons or fish.

[Descant]

@Tis. Seems like we both have partial information. As you say, 2,4-D can be detected in the water column for some weeks. Yes, bottled water was supplied in some cases.
I couldn't find a specific online description on this matter, so I contacted DES.

Here's the reply:
The new herbicide ProcellaCOR is the one that is gone in in 24 hours, and it actually has minimal use restrictions, and no need to supply water. Irrigation and other uses can resume within a couple days of treatment once testing shows herbicide concentrations are below limits.

2,4-D usually takes a few weeks to 6 weeks to disappear from the water column, and because it is so long-lived, may require that bottled water be provided for people whose water supplies may be restricted while herbicide concentrations are high.

We have greatly reduced use of 2,4-D in NH, and now are mostly using the new herbicide (ProcellaCOR) for variable milfoil and Eurasian milfoil control. For Winnipesaukee this year, no 2,4-D was used, or will be used.

Good info.

[tis]

I'm not sure what you mean that we have partial information. But honestly I am pleased they have changed what they are using now. It does sound safer.

[trackeer]

curious if anyone knows the long-term plan for managing milfoil in Pickerel Cove? or a contact or online resource? TX

As a resident in Pickerel cove, first let me say that many of the weed growths have nothing to do with Milfoil, what has happened is growth was allowed to overtake a larger portion of the cove over the years. I have been told the cove was at one time a pebbled sand bottom, the weeds contained towards the back small section of the cove by the twin culverts.
The cove was treated in 2018 for milfoil, the company launched their air-boat from our ramp, they treated most of the cove. There is another weed that looks similar to Milfoil, but truthfully I do see Milfoil as a lake problem but in the cove Milfoil takes second place to the the lily pads and other weeds gone amuck.
Milfoil is not just a Pickerel Cove issue, it's prevalent around the lake and that leads to the problem of treatments and who foots the bill. The last treatment was picked up by the state, who pays the tab next time and how much remains to be seen.
Milfoil and most any water plant that is not totally uprooted and removed can re-root as well replant elsewhere, hence why they ask anyone moving a boat to clean it before and after launch.
Pickerel Cove is a sweet spot, the cove has an abundance of wildlife, it's quite, and there isn't a massive neighborhood around the cove, if it weren't for the train or a open exhaust boat passing by you'd be hard pressed to know your around the corner from everything Lake Winni.
Weeds, Milfoil, and some minor annoyances can be dealt with, we do our best to keep them at bay around our waterfront, for us in the cove the biggest issue is the Culvert, but even then it's a matter of sizing the boat or either buying or renting a slip outside the cove.
Property values have skyrocketed around the lake and in fact most of NH, nothing like having some place to get away from it all, Covid-19 vs Milfoil, I'll take the Milfoil, we know how to get rid of that.:D