Defoliating Liberty Lake

[Lotech Joe]

I read today where they are planning on defoliating about 1% of Liberty Lake in Spokane County with 2-4-D in an attempt to curb some of the millfoil growth. I wonder how long before fish will be fit to eat if harvested from those treated areas.

[kevinb]

Good question. In the past,at least some of the lakes that have been treated get a green light from the authorities but personally I have my doubts if that can be 100% safe. I figure if it kills aquatic plants,it can't be a positive for the fish and thus not a great idea for human consumption.

[Amx]

Not good for dogs either, 2-4-D inhibits reproduction in animals/mammals. I know a couple that had that stuff sprayed along the road in front of their property by the city. They even had a sign out saying they, the owners - them - would maintain. Their kennels for their show dogs were along that brushline. They lost the ability to produce puppies. The people sued the city and won PLENTY of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. They also sold the property to the city and bought a bigger, better place elswhere with all that money.

[Anglinarcher]

I have used 2-4-D for may years, on the farm and at home. Sorry, AMX, but sounds a little like a wives tail to me. Can you provide more information, because even the Ortho Weed-B-Gone you buy at your local store for lawn weeds contains 2-4-D in it. If it were that bad, we would not have access to it.

We even sprayed fields with it, and the Pheasants, Quail, Huns, etc., were numerous as fleas on a dogs back.

2-4-D does nothing to fish, and they will move out of the area so unless a large area of a lake is killed, it has no harm to them. Additionally, the chemical is not stored in the flesh, so once the state gives the green light, which is normally less then a couple of days, NO ISSUES.

[Bodofish]

I don't know about you guys but I love fish seasoned with "AGENT ORANGE".
Kind of gives a SE Asian flavor.

[Anglinarcher]

I don't know about you guys but I love fish seasoned with "AGENT ORANGE".
Kind of gives a SE Asian flavor.

LOL - well the option is to allow "asian" millfoil and other invasive weeds to take over.

It should be noted that while we don't want it, it has actually benefitted a lot of eastern lakes where cover has rotted away (submerged trees, etc.) or silted up (millfoil traps the mud). Maybe ..........

[Amx]

And that is one thing that has happened to Silver Lake in Cowlits county. The carp did away with the weeds, thus no weeds to filter the water, now the lake is 'full' of suspending sediment, etc, and is murky. With the submergant weeds the water was clear and the fishing was great. Too many weeds needed to be fixed, but too many grass carp were put in the lake, we knew that before they even put in the carp, but 'they' wouldn't listen to us fishermen.

[Anglinarcher]

And that is one thing that has happened to Silver Lake in Cowlits county. The carp did away with the weeds, thus no weeds to filter the water, now the lake is 'full' of suspending sediment, etc, and is murky. With the submergant weeds the water was clear and the fishing was great. Too many weeds needed to be fixed, but too many grass carp were put in the lake, we knew that before they even put in the carp, but 'they' wouldn't listen to us fishermen.

Side note first. I am not a Wikipedia fan, but the following article is pretty accurate. Note that it was not the 2,4,D that was the problem, but the concentration and also the other agents in Agent Orange.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

AMX, I believe that our Fish & Wildlife is mostly a group of activist lead by ignorant politic ans. In the last 30 years or so, more urban activist have chosen to become Fish and Wildlife, less of the true outdoor people are allowed to join up.

Additionally, actual research money is limited, as our state budget demonstrates, so you have the activist presenting their "book" learned ideas as gospel fact. The problem I discovered in College was that the books were written by people that learned their stuff from books, written by people that learned from books. At some point, you have to get your waders wet to know about the stream you are interested in protecting.

[Bodofish]

I read today where they are planning on defoliating about 1% of Liberty Lake in Spokane County with 2-4-D in an attempt to curb some of the millfoil growth. [h]I wonder how long before fish will be fit to eat if harvested from those treated areas.
[/h]

Yes yes you can go off on all sorts of tangents but the question of the day was how long before you can eat the fish? Not whether it should be done or not. WDFW seems to replant the lakes a couple months after they defoliate. In most of the "reconditioned" lakes I’ve been to they have a winter closure so they sit for 5 to 6 months. When you spray 2-4-D on your yard the direction say a couple days to pet safe. Not really sure what that means but.........

[Lotech Joe]

I went by Liberty Lake today and the warning sign said not to swim in the defoliated areas for 2 days. I saw on the news yesterday where they're not only surface treating with 2-4-D, but prior to that, divers are going down and cutting milfoil by hand. I guess it's a real problem at that lake and they're doing everything they can think of to stay ahead of it.

[Anglinarcher]

I read today where they are planning on defoliating about 1% of Liberty Lake in Spokane County with 2-4-D in an attempt to curb some of the millfoil growth. [h]I wonder how long before fish will be fit to eat if harvested from those treated areas.
[/h]

Yes yes you can go off on all sorts of tangents but the question of the day was how long before you can eat the fish? Not whether it should be done or not. WDFW seems to replant the lakes a couple months after they defoliate. In most of the "reconditioned" lakes I’ve been to they have a winter closure so they sit for 5 to 6 months. When you spray 2-4-D on your yard the direction say a couple days to pet safe. Not really sure what that means but.........

Really, I have never seen that. In fact, when the defoliated Elokia they did not shut down the eating or keeping of the Bass, and I sure caught some nice ones this year that did not get killed off. In fact, not one single defoliated lake had been closed.

In fact, the winter closure is for Rotonone, a chemical designed to kill fish, and even then the fish are not bad to eat if they are taken before they spoil. If this is what you mean by reconditioned, then you are mixing apples with space science. Unless you are Newton, I would not even try to connect those things.

Yes, 2-4-D on the yard does say keep the pets off, but then again, pets tend to sniff and lick and fish move out of the way.

Personally, I'll stick with the science on this one. Just saying.........