Invasive

[scooper47]

More bad news for fishermen (and other boaters).

https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/berkshire-county/invasive-species-detected-in-berkshire-county-lake/

[taxid]

Sorry to hear that. 

Any idea if these particular bodies of water have harder water than typical Massachusetts waters? I say that because typically zebras don't do well in soft waters as they need the calcium that hard water provides to built their shells.

[taxid]

I found this:

The pH of waterbodies ranged from 6.79 to 8.55, alkalinities ranged from 4.0 to 162.0 mg/L, and calcium concentrations ranged from 2.0 to 44.0 mg/L. Calcium and pH are widely considered the most critical parameters in assessing the susceptibility of a waterbody to zebra mussel survival and reproduction; low-risk waterbodies usually have pH below 7.4 and calcium below 12 mg/L, whereas high-risk waterbodies usually have pH above 8.0 and calcium above 20 mg/L. The 21 waterbodies surveyed for this report, were divided into three categories based on their susceptibility to successful colonization by zebra mussels:
• Low Risk (seven waterbodies): Benedict Pond, Big Pond, Center Pond, Goose Pond, Otis Reservoir, Thousand Acre Pond, and Windsor Pond
• Medium Risk (four waterbodies): Ashmere Lake, Shaw Pond, Lake Garfield, and Plunkett Reser- voir
• High Risk (ten waterbodies): Cheshire Reservoir, Housatonic River (Great Barrington to Pittsfield), Lake Buel, Lake Mansfield, Laurel Lake, Onota Lake, Pontoosuc Lake, Prospect Lake, Richmond Pond, and Stockbridge Bowl

https://www.mass.gov/doc/phase-i-zebra-mussel-report-2009/download

[lowaccord66]

Laurel lake down the road has them (zebras) so no surprise...

[taxid]

Laurel lake down the road has them (zebras) so no surprise...

Yep sadly easily transported as almost microscopic veligers (larval state of mussels) in water, attached to boats, and equipment. The only upside for your region is I believe many of your waters lack the calcium and higher Ph needed for their success.

But typically once the horse is out of the barn (they are discovered in a body of water) which is usually the case, it's too late to establish measures to prevent their spread.

It's ironic that at one point low Ph due to acid rain was a problem in the northeast (still is in some bodies of water), but yet low Ph is the enemy of the zebra mussel.

[lowaccord66]

Some amazing fisheries out there with zebras.  They dont bother me at all.

[taxid]

Some amazing fisheries out there with zebras.  They dont bother me at all.

We are finding some fish species in the Great Lakes are feeding on them, or the larger predator fish are feeding on the fish that feed on the zebras such as gobies. So even with negatives not all is lost?

[filetandrelease]

 Sheephead eat them and I find small zebras in perch in Oneida lake , far as the gobies they are enjoyed by several species
 Far as fishing , catch rates are fine

[lowaccord66]

We are finding some fish species in the Great Lakes are feeding on them, or the larger predator fish are feeding on the fish that feed on the zebras such as gobies. So even with negatives not all is lost?

Nope, one of the best pike/tiger musky lakes here in CT is full of them.  One of our best hold over brown lakes too!  Part of the housatonic has them near me and the smallie fishing is incredible. 

What these things are good for....a new 20 dollar annual tax in CT for a sticker "to prevent AIS" (aquatic invasive species). Yup thats the solution...my boat reg went from 50 to 70...and a magical sticker is gonna save our lakes. 

[filetandrelease]

 Don’t forget birds transport all kinds of things including invasive species

[lowaccord66]

Don’t forget birds transport all kinds of things including invasive species

Too logical.  Blame the fishermen.  People hate seeing us on "their lake".

[KingPerch]

Nope, one of the best pike/tiger musky lakes here in CT is full of them.  One of our best hold over brown lakes too!  Part of the housatonic has them near me and the smallie fishing is incredible. 

What these things are good for....a new 20 dollar annual tax in CT for a sticker "to prevent AIS" (aquatic invasive species). Yup thats the solution...my boat reg went from 50 to 70...and a magical sticker is gonna save our lakes.

Those invasive species are there to stay my friend. No amount of money will eradicate them. The extra funds that will be charged won’t even get put to that purpose. But, once people find out that you have a healthy SM bass fishery…. Your waters will get pounded. The folks who think it’s “their” water will be pulling their hair out due to boat traffic.

[taxid]

Too logical.  Blame the fishermen.  People hate seeing us on "their lake".

You guys have that problem out there too eh?

[taxid]

Nope, one of the best pike/tiger musky lakes here in CT is full of them.  One of our best hold over brown lakes too!  Part of the housatonic has them near me and the smallie fishing is incredible. 

What these things are good for....a new 20 dollar annual tax in CT for a sticker "to prevent AIS" (aquatic invasive species). Yup thats the solution...my boat reg went from 50 to 70...and a magical sticker is gonna save our lakes.

The largest pike in the world come from Eastern Europe where the zebras are native.

Speaking of charging fees but not sure what those fees pay for...

One of my favorite ponds to fish in Mass for trout and bass as a kid at the former Ft. Devens, Little Mirror Lake aka Little Hell Pond (not to be confused with larger adjacent Mirror Lake) succumbed to acid rain after I moved away in 1971.  Went from a good brook trout pond with holdover, (larger and beefier than adjacent Mirror Lake), and some really large largemouth bass with literally thousands of frogs for the bass to feed on to basically a dead pond. 

It presently has a surface Ph of 4.5, (I personally tested it last summer), and is devoid of fish life except for a few small runt fish present. If there are frogs there, there aren't many. For the surface area to depth ratio for a natural kettle pond it may be one of the deepest ponds in Massachusetts. Six acres and 30 feet deep. (See contour map below). One local I talked to was surprised as he assumed it was a shallow bog pond due to its tannic water color.

Before I moved there when the Ph dropped the first time, the PH dropped to 4.7 in 1963, it was limed with what would cost under $700.00 in today's dollars, and was such as success it was used to as a model to bring the Ph back up in other Massachusetts ponds through out the state when acid rain wa bigger problem than it is today.

Now this secluded forgotten heavily wooded kettle pond on state property with no development would be an ideal little pond to launch a kayak on and fish if they would just treat it.  I've contacted all parties in Mass that have either jurisdiction over it, or could do the treatment and was ignored (I had to contact them twice in some cases to get a response), or a lukewarm response.

I just can't see a bigger bang for a buck than adding under $700.00 of lime, but no one wants to commit. But I believe the community of Devens spent $30,000 on fireworks last summer. And that area is getting developed big time.

On April 18, 1963, six acre Little Hell Pond at Fort Devens was stocked with 400 (9-12 inch) rainbow trout. By opening day of the fishing season� April 20, numerous trout were dead while a few were along the shoreline. Water chemistry performed on April 22 indicated a pH of 4.7 and an M.O. alkalinity of 0.8 ppm. Rapid mortality of live caged rainbow, brown and brook trout confirmed the stressful conditions associated with this high acidity. During June and July a total of three tons of agricultural limestone were added to the pond. The pH rose to 6.7 and alkalinity rose to 8 ppm. Subsequent stockings of rainbow trout survived and produced excellent fishing. Follow-up chemical analysis in March 1969 indicated that the pH was still holding at approximately 6.0 and alkalinity was 16 ppm. The retention of the elevated pH was credited to the kettle shape
of basin. It was also concluded that the expense of liming was justified in light of the fishing it supported.

[lowaccord66]

You guys have that problem out there too eh?

Its so bad people will put ropes on each side of their dock to try to prevent people from flipping their docks.