The Three Lakes Council hired our lake manager, ABI, to do a rake toss study in Lake Waccabuc.  This was primarily to search for BE in our lakes.  The survey will also give us some idea how aquatic plant density changes from year to year.

The good news is that ABI did not find any Brazilian elodea (BE) in the north cove.  Unfortunately, they did find a fragment of BE on one rake toss on the north shore of the island.  This means that BE escaped our "containment area" of the north cove.  They did not find BE anywhere else in the lakes.

Searchers began to scuba and snorkel.  We have found more plants and fragments in a dense patch of plants on one section on the north side of the island.  At the current time, our best estimate is that this area probably had plants since last year.  It also appears that there is a relatively small area where the plant was growing. 

Our current plans are to hand harvest the area where the BE was found, which requires Town permission.  We also intend to continue to search nearby areas, since it now appears that BE may have spread. 

I'll repeat what Scott Kisbaugh from the DEC told us: "While the location is discouraging, the very small quantity of BE seems pretty encouraging. I don't know of any EWM or other eradication efforts that have shown such strong control in the first year."

We're going to continue our efforts to eradicate this plant.

You can help!  Please contact threelakescouncil@gmail.com if you see any unusual plant in the lakes.

 

Volunteers have finished their second pass in 2010 over the area that was harvested in 2009.  They have looked carefully for Brazilian elodea, especially in the places where it was found after the harvesting in 2009.  So far no Brazilian elodea has been found.  There is very lush growth, especially in the shallow areas, so it is possible that the Brazilian elodea has been missed.  In any case, it is great news that no Brazilian elodea has been spotted so far.

Our lake manager will be doing a plant survey of Lake Waccabuc later in August.  We'll report on that when it occurs.  Also see our BEEP page for more info.

If you see a strange plant, please contact us so we can take a look.  Meanwhile, thanks to everyone for their support on this project.