Pittsfield will treat Onota Lake

[Thomas Fontaine]

charles wrote:

<quoted text>what happens if your swimming in the water and all of a sudden the mussels start clinging to your leggs and bite you,because they do spread pcbs what it said in the story that the mussels contain pcbs and pollute the lakes

Charles,
I stand corrected the article says they haven't been discovered yet it was either the radio slipped or my hearing did. when I'm wrong I'm wrong and I'll be the first to admit it. Aren't you allowed one mistake in life? I thought you were being a wise guy about the mussel transporting pcbs but your right again.

[Wake Up]

The weeds in Onota Lake are literally choking and killing the lake -- the fish won't be able to survive and people will not be able to swim in it. "Something" needs to be done, but what? I do not like all of the chemicals being put into that water -- remember DDT to kill the mosquito's? Everyone wants mosquito's killed because not only are they a real annoyance, they also spread disease. And DDT was listed as "safe". I can remember as a kid playing "hide-and-go-seek" and when the "Fogger Truck" came by, we'd all run out and chase it down the street. No wonder I have cancer. And now the bats that feed on mosquito's are dying -- all part of that eco-system. So chemicals aren't the answer as we can be doing far worse damage in the end.

Yet something needs to happen -- they are NOT pretty, they do NOT have a purpose in the eco-system, but rather have been brought here by boaters carrying these weeds from other lakes. They WILL kill this lake, AND the fish in it. The draw-down of water did help, but not enough. The dredging of the weeds by the big machines made them much worse as not only did it cause re-seeding of them by just cutting them, they don't pick up all of the weeds they cut down and then they float across the water to other areas and sink, causing re-infestations. In fact, this causes the weed infestation to be MUCH worse and needs to be stopped immediately.

They tried the sonar thing and that didn't work at all, either. Therefore, our only option right now, in my opinion, is to continue to draw down the lake in the fall (perhaps start earlier and do it slower so as to not upset the wildlife that live there) and draw it down 8 or 9 feet, numerous years in a row. Perhaps we need to lobby our state officials to come up with a safer way of doing this and get it done!!

I've been to the Finger Lakes numerous times, volunteering at a camp for children with cancer. These kids can't even go into the water because the shores have literally feet deep of mussels that cause very deep cuts. And they are spread by motor boats in those lakes launching their boats into other lakes. Since another problem at Onota Lake is the vast number of boats out on it during a Summer weekend, let's hire a person to monitor the boat ramp -- charge each person a minimal $3 fee to launch, and in this way, we can limit the number of boats AND inspect the boats prior to launch. And the $3 fee would pay for the person to do this. Obviously we can't monitor it 7 x 24, but we could sure put a big dent into things, without causing more financial hardship to us.

[Swinson]

DEP will not allow a draw down of over 4 feet without lots of red tape and even then the MAX is like one or two feet more.

The same thing happened with beavers and trapping, people that "know better" made it near impossible to draw trap beavers...and now look at the mess we have.

[Ms Pittsfield]

I like your letter Wake Up, have you sent it to the City of Pittsfield Website-Report an Issue and also to The Eagle? I think they do seriously consider our ideas.
Does anyone know about Chapter 91-covering the Public Access to Waterways law? I am frustrated with being approached by home owners whose properties are near brooks and streams telling me to get off their property. According to Chapter 91 the public has stolling , fishing and swimming rights to all waterways. When access to Lakes is denied because of unwise chemical treating for weeds and it happens to fall in the middle of a heat wave, the public, being polite and packing out their trash, should have access to all streams and brooks in the area. But they should have that access at all times, too. Some people are unnerved by crowds and the noise of the boats and Chapter 91 should protect their right to enjoy all waterways.
Please reply

[LuLuBelle]

Raised in Pittsfield wrote:

The reason that mite be the problem is cause in part to globle warming. This problem with rapid weed growth is happening in most lakes. Has any one looked into to this for this area. Like has the water temp been tracked and data collected to studie?

Eurasian water-milfoil loves shallow, warm lakes and ponds with lots of nutrient run-off.

A plant-eating weevil native to North America likes to eat the stems and leaves of Eurasian water-milfoil. Native aquatic plant species are not at risk from the weevil's introduction. Additional research is needed before we know if weevils will be effective.

[mokh]

Yesterday I went fishing in Onota Lake, and the water looked like what you would see in an aquarium. Not a damn plant in sight. I won't be going back there again. Too many rude boaters anyway.