DEC Announces Sea Lamprey Control Treatments on Seneca Lake to Enhance Lake Trout and Salmon Populations - News from the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 08/25/2015 03:00 PM EDT
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DEC Announces Sea Lamprey Control Treatments on Seneca Lake to Enhance Lake Trout and Salmon Populations
A program to combat the parasitic sea lamprey has been rescheduled to begin the week of September 7 in Chemung and Schuyler counties on Catherine Creek the main tributary to Seneca Lake, Paul D'Amato, Regional Director of the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. An earlier attempt in June was postponed due to increased stream flows.

By effectively controlling sea lampreys, DEC can reduce mortality rates for fish targeted by the sea lamprey, especially lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and landlocked salmon. In addition, fewer sea lampreys mean fewer unsightly scars and wounds on sportfish.

Typically, immature sea lamprey live in streams for three to four years before they become parasitic, descending into the lake to prey on other fish, like trout and salmon. Through the sea lamprey control program, DEC will apply a lampricide, called TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) to the streams in a continuous, metered manner over a period of approximately 12 hours to kill the immature, larval form of the sea lamprey. TFM is a selective pesticide used extensively for sea lamprey control in the Great Lakes for decades and in Seneca Lake tributaries since 1982. The dosage levels of TFM that are lethal to larval sea lampreys can be harmlessly processed by most other aquatic organisms.

Following an environmental impact statement and public hearing conducted prior to initiation of the sea lamprey control program, DEC concluded that the sea lamprey control program "offers an effective and immediate measure for protecting the native lake trout populations in Seneca Lake." DEC further concluded that the project will not have any significant impacts to the environment or non target organisms exposed to the lampricide. Some minor fish and aquatic invertebrate mortality is expected and may be visible.

The stream treatments do not pose any significant hazard to human health. However, as a precautionary measure, the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) has advised no stream water consumption, fishing, swimming, livestock watering or irrigation in the treatment zone during and immediately following applications. Appropriate signs will be posted along the treated streams. Since 1982, Catharine Creek and Keuka Outlet have been treated nine and six times, respectively, without any significant environmental or human health problems or impacts.

DEC will treat waters inhabited by juvenile sea lampreys in Catharine Creek and tributaries from the Chemung/Schuyler County line to Montour Falls. Lampricide applications are scheduled to start September 9, however, weather conditions may warrant postponement to later in the week or the following week.