07-24-2010, 11:10 AM
OLYMPIA, WA - A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) proposal to treat several eastern Washington lakes and a stream to eliminate undesirable fish species will be discussed at three public meetings later this month.
Under the proposal, the waters would be treated with rotenone-a natural substance derived from a plant root. WDFW and other fish and wildlife agencies have used rotenone for more than 60 years to rehabilitate lake and stream fisheries.
The meetings will take place in:
"¢ Usk, on July 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Kalispel Tribe's Camas Wellness Center, on the Kalispel Tribal reservation, at 1821 N. LeClerc Road. The Cee Cee Ah Creek management and rehabilitation proposal will be discussed at this meeting.
"¢ Ephrata, on July 28 from 7 to 9 p.m., at WDFW's Region 2 Office, 1550 Alder St. NW. All lake management and rehabilitation proposals will be discussed at this meeting.
"¢ Olympia, on July 29 from 7 to 9 p.m., in Room 172 on the first floor of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE. All rehabilitation proposals will be discussed at this meeting.
"These proposed treatments are designed to reduce the number of undesirable fish such as carp, tench, and stunted sunfish that compete with game fish and destroy aquatic vegetation," said Jim Uehara, WDFW fish biologist.
Rotenone is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a fish pesticide, and is regulated in Washington by the state departments of Ecology and Agriculture.
WDFW treatment plans are scheduled to be completed in late August, and work would take place in September and October. The treated lakes would be stocked with trout fry next spring.
Besides improving fisheries, the treatment may also improve waterfowl habitat in lakes by eliminating common carp, which compete for food sources such as aquatic plants and insects, Uehara said. The stream treatment proposal would restore native cutthroat trout populations by eliminating non-native brook trout.
The waters proposed for treatment, and the fish species that would be targeted, are:
* Beda Lake (sunfish and bass)
* Harris, Sedge, Tern, and Dune lakes (sunfish and bass)<br />
* Heart, June, North-North Windmill, North Windmill, Windmill, Canal, and Pit lakes (sunfish, yellow perch, bass, and carp)<br />
* North Teal, South Teal, Herman, and Lyle lakes (sunfish, yellow perch, bass, and carp)<br />
* Upper Caliche, Lower Caliche, and West Caliche lakes and drainage (sunfish, yellow perch, and carp)<br />
* Martha Lake (sunfish, yellow perch, and bass)<br />
* Cee Cee Ah Creek (brook trout)
Media Contact<br />
Jim Uehara, (360) 902-2738<br />
Chad Jackson, (509) 754-4624, ext. 250<br />
Bill Baker, (509) 684-2362
Under the proposal, the waters would be treated with rotenone-a natural substance derived from a plant root. WDFW and other fish and wildlife agencies have used rotenone for more than 60 years to rehabilitate lake and stream fisheries.
The meetings will take place in:
"¢ Usk, on July 27 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Kalispel Tribe's Camas Wellness Center, on the Kalispel Tribal reservation, at 1821 N. LeClerc Road. The Cee Cee Ah Creek management and rehabilitation proposal will be discussed at this meeting.
"¢ Ephrata, on July 28 from 7 to 9 p.m., at WDFW's Region 2 Office, 1550 Alder St. NW. All lake management and rehabilitation proposals will be discussed at this meeting.
"¢ Olympia, on July 29 from 7 to 9 p.m., in Room 172 on the first floor of the Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington St. SE. All rehabilitation proposals will be discussed at this meeting.
"These proposed treatments are designed to reduce the number of undesirable fish such as carp, tench, and stunted sunfish that compete with game fish and destroy aquatic vegetation," said Jim Uehara, WDFW fish biologist.
Rotenone is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a fish pesticide, and is regulated in Washington by the state departments of Ecology and Agriculture.
WDFW treatment plans are scheduled to be completed in late August, and work would take place in September and October. The treated lakes would be stocked with trout fry next spring.
Besides improving fisheries, the treatment may also improve waterfowl habitat in lakes by eliminating common carp, which compete for food sources such as aquatic plants and insects, Uehara said. The stream treatment proposal would restore native cutthroat trout populations by eliminating non-native brook trout.
The waters proposed for treatment, and the fish species that would be targeted, are:
* Beda Lake (sunfish and bass)
* Harris, Sedge, Tern, and Dune lakes (sunfish and bass)<br />
* Heart, June, North-North Windmill, North Windmill, Windmill, Canal, and Pit lakes (sunfish, yellow perch, bass, and carp)<br />
* North Teal, South Teal, Herman, and Lyle lakes (sunfish, yellow perch, bass, and carp)<br />
* Upper Caliche, Lower Caliche, and West Caliche lakes and drainage (sunfish, yellow perch, and carp)<br />
* Martha Lake (sunfish, yellow perch, and bass)<br />
* Cee Cee Ah Creek (brook trout)
Media Contact<br />
Jim Uehara, (360) 902-2738<br />
Chad Jackson, (509) 754-4624, ext. 250<br />
Bill Baker, (509) 684-2362