2012

The Local Hydrilla Task Force drafted an initial Hydrilla Work Plan (152 kb pdf) in 2012. This is a first attempt to articulate the various tasks, and estimated costs, that are expected to be needed to reach the goal of eradication. It was pulled together by the Local Task Force section of the larger Hydrilla Task Force of the Cayuga Lake Watershed.  There will be changes made along the way as we work with our State and Federal partners and develop the larger Management Plan.

In brief, fighting Hydrilla has 4 key strategies:

• Herbicide Treatment 
• Benthic Barriers
• Monitoring
• Outreach

1. Herbicide Treatment Summary for 2012: 

Both herbicides work by disrupting photosynthesis, the process plants use to convert light into energy. Even if effective, repeated treatments probably will be needed until at least 2020 to rid the inlet of all hydrilla because tubers can lie dormant. 

The use of both herbicides this year and the order of their application was chosen because of the following:

• Fluridone is not effective for at least 1 month in arresting plant growth. Therefore, it could not be used initially as plants could potentially grow to a size where they would be fragmented by boaters and other water activities. 
• Endothall was used to quickly remove that vegetation first. It also killed those plants that were new tubers and had no reserves for resprouting.
• Fluridone is being used to treat the slower germinating tubers and keep hydrilla from producing any effective biomass or new tubers this season.
• All germinating tubers where the vegetation comes in contact with fluridone will be killed. 

Endothall treatment judged a success. The herbicide applicator, Allied Biological, finished the endothall application at 9:12 pm, June 26, 2012.  The inlet was closed for about a day and then reopened.  It remained open the rest of the summer. Results of monitoring the endothall in the water were posted as they became available.  Read a summary of the herbicide plan, written immediately before treatment, one-page summary of endothall and health effects, detailed endothall fact sheet  and map of maximum treatment area.

Fluridone treatment occurred from July 12 to October 31, 2012.  Fluridone herbicide was applied at very low levels.  One-page summary of fluridone and it's health effects.  Results of monitoring the fluridone throughout the inlet.  Note: Changes have been made to the fluridone result table since additional monitoring points have been added in the "donut" at the mouth of the inlet, replacing other monitoring points that are and will be discontinued throughout the next few weeks.   

2. Barriers:                     

Benthic barrier mats can be placed on the lake bottom to kill water plants by blocking their access to light during the growing season. Benthic barriers are most effective when used in small areas (such as between docks or when a new population is found).

They were planned for and budgeted for but not used as part of the management effort in 2012 based on need. As it turned out, the plant growth in the Inlet started essentially at the same time so the herbicide was very effective in knocking back all vegetation and eliminating the need for other measures. There were worries that the shallower (and active boat) areas would germinate well in advance of the rest of the Inlet and might become a fragmentation problem before the herbicide could be applied. That did not happen. The benthic barriers planned for the lake were only meant to be used if hydrilla was found in the lake -- none was. 

3. Monitoring:

Trained volunteers and professionals looked for new populations of hydrilla so the spread could be stopped immediately. Plants, tubers, and water quality throughout the Inlet and southern shelf of Cayuga Lake prior to, during, and after tboth herbicide treatments. 

4. Outreach:

Signs, educational events and the StopHydrilla.org website all alert people to  prevent the spread of hydrilla. It's up to all of us to spread the word and not the plant.

Benthic barrier image from Diet for a Small Lake, courtesy of NYSFOLA

Last Updated: January 28, 2013