For Release: Thursday, September 7, 2006
State Continues Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Program
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced that sea lamprey control treatments will be conducted in four tributaries of Lake Champlain in September as a continuation of a long-term effort to protect the lake's fishery from the parasitic fish. Trout and salmon populations, native to Lake Champlain, will benefit from this action.
"DEC performs sea lamprey treatments annually to protect our trout and salmon fisheries in Lake Champlain, which are an important part of the Lake's ecosystem." Commissioner Sheehan said. "The Lake Champlain fisheries are also important to the local economy. DEC will continue to work with its counterparts at the federal level and in Vermont to ensure the long-term protection of Lake Champlain and its local fishing industry."
This year's treatments are scheduled to begin Tuesday, September 19, 2006, and are expected to be completed by early October. Staff from DEC, the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will administer the treatments and will target the larval stage of sea lamprey. A fifth tributary in Vermont, Lewis Creek, will also be treated this fall.
In the Lake Champlain system, most immature sea lamprey live in streams for four years before descending into Lake Champlain to prey on other fish like trout and salmon. Under the sea lamprey control program, a pesticide, TFM (trifluoromethyl-nitrophenol), is applied in precise concentrations to the streams in a continuous, metered manner over a period of approximately 12 hours in order to kill the immature, larval form of the sea lamprey.
DEC has set up a toll free number (1-800-638-5432) for the public to obtain information on the lamprey treatments. Callers can receive information on the treatment schedule for the specific waters, progress reports, updates on treatments and water use advisories.
Temporary water use advisories will be in effect in specific areas following each treatment to minimize human exposure to the treatment compounds. The State Department of Health recommends that the treated river and lake water not be used for drinking, swimming, fishing, irrigation, or livestock watering for the short period the lamprey control chemicals are present.
The treatments and water use advisories will have no effect on most residents in the Champlain basin, and no municipal water supply systems will be affected. DEC staff identify all riparian landowners along the waters for which treatments are planned. A letter is sent to residents, usually in late spring, informing them of the planned treatment and asking them if they or their livestock use water from a surface supply that will be affected by the treatment. Days before the treatment begins, another letter is sent to inform the resident that the treatment will be forthcoming.
DEC staff also contact residents who have indicated that they use the river or lake in an advisory area as a water supply and the resident is advised of the treatment. In addition, DEC provides a supply of water upon request to impacted residents and their livestock.
Local television and radio stations will broadcast the dates when advisories begin and expire. The treatment schedule is subject to change by weather conditions, stream flows or technical problems that may arise during the treatments. Residents will be kept apprised of any such changes.
DEC studies have shown that sea lamprey control results in decreased wounding and scarring rates to other fish and can increase populations of lake trout and landlocked salmon. Department surveys of anglers showed that more and substantially bigger trout and salmon were caught as a result of the previous treatment program.
Sea lamprey control also generates a favorable economic benefit/cost ratio as angling opportunities increase. According to Benefit Cost Analysis of the Eight-year Experimental Sea Lamprey Control Program on Lake Champlain, a study conducted by Alphonse H. Gilbert, a researcher from the University of Vermont, sea lamprey control generated benefits of approximately $29.4 million with costs of about $8.4 million. These benefits were the result of the increased number of boaters and anglers spending longer periods of time in the Lake Champlain area.
Communities and residents that utilize the following bodies of water should consult the advisory table below:
WATER USE ADVISORY AREAS
| Stream | Length of Advisory Area in Miles | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Point to Stream Mouth | Lake Area North of Stream Mouth | Lake Area South of Stream Mouth | |
| Putnam Creek | 4.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Ausable River | 7.0 | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| Little Ausable River | 6.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Salmon River | 4.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
