(Ruthven)– Eurasian watermilfoil has been found on Lost Island Lake near Ruthven. Mike Hawkins, a fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources tells KUOO news it was recently discovered on the west and southwest sides of the lake. Hawkins says herbicides are quite effective in killing the invasive aquatic plant in smaller bodies of water, but he says this is a bit different…
“This, though, is the first time that we’ve had it in a large, natural lake and the process for elimination here may be a lot more difficult and so. But we’ve already started work on that. It was discovered last Monday during our normal annual vegetation management surveys where we’re actually looking for, we have team of folks that looks for those invasive species. The plant was discovered last Monday and we’ve already put a herbicide treatment on it, a very specific prescription herbicide treatment into those locations on last Wednesday, so just a couple of days after discovery. We’ll be back down in that area very quickly here to assess the effectiveness of that herbicide treatment in those locations and then we’ll again look for more of the plant and there will be some very close monitoring over the next few years.”
Hawkins says it points out the importance of taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive plants and species…
“Just fragments of these plants can grow a new plant in a new location and so it’s extremely important to get your boat and trailer cleaned off. It’s not legal in Iowa to transport aquatic plants on an Iowa roadway, so for the reasons of not getting a citation but also just keeping our lakes healthy and not moving those invasive species around. Very, very important to get that plant material off your boat and trailer before you leave the parking lot.”
Hawkins says clean, drain and dry is the name of the game. He says boats should be allowed to dry at least five days before being transported to another body of water. Hawkins recommends power washing your boat with hot water in the event you can’t do that.
He adds it wasn’t that long ago that Lost Island Lake was on the state’s impaired waters list. It was removed from that designation in 2018 following a major restoration…
“You know the lake itself and that lake project is a great success story. It’s being told throughout the midwest, other managers and communities are very interested in how that project was put together. But another reminder that, you know, those types of projects are tenuous, especially with those invasive species our there and we want to make sure we’re not moving them around.”
Lost Island Lake covers 1,162 acres in Clay and Palo Alto counties.
