This guy is beginning to set the precedent against aquatic grass eradication.

[Strick9]

By using their own laws against them. Some of it is slippery ie endangered species but he in on the right track more or less in my opinion.

[Calibogue]

He'll be suicided soon enough!

[willyworm]

He's really onto something there. If he can get some support they've got a solid case. Video evidence is pretty convincing. Helicopter application from well over 50ft? Pretty ridiculous.

[DRDUCK]

That's pretty strong and I admire what he is doing. It ain't just Florida either.

[Strick9]

He'll be suicided soon enough!

Its honestly just that deep for sure.

Aquacide / Herbacide reservoir treatment contracts run well into the high millions annually per each body of water.

Would be interested to see how much Fl spent in say 2015-2019 total then broken down to years.

Wouldn't mind seeing the same for SC.

[willyworm]

Strick what's going on with the Aquatic Mgmt Plan for SC? Any hope of getting some native vegetation back at the SC Lakes anytime soon?

And who currently holds the "Governor appointed seat"?

1. The council shall include one representative from each of the following agencies, to be appointed by the chief executive officer of each agency:

(a) Water Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources;

(b) South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control;

(c) Wildlife and Freshwater Fish Division of the Department of Natural Resources;

(d) South Carolina Department of Agriculture;

(e) Coastal Division of the Department of Health and Environmental Control;

(f) South Carolina Public Service Authority;

(g) Land Resources and Conservation Districts Division of the Department of Natural Resources;

(h) South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism;

(i) Clemson University, Department of Fertilizer and Pesticide Control.

2. The council shall include one representative from the Governor's Office, to be appointed by the Governor.

3. The representative of the Water Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources shall serve as chairman of the council and shall be a voting member of the council.

[Strick9]

Actually Yes, the lakes are getting some form of reprieve, mainly due to push back and a far better Aquatics manager being in position. Its not exactly where I want to see it but it is far better that years past. The spraying has been more point source specific and laid down on giant cut grass , Phrag, Giant Sylvinia, Crested Water Heart, Hyacinth and other non useful invasives vs haphazzardly all over the lake. Yes Hydrilla has been treated as well.

There has even been a little movement towards re instating some Val in appropriate areas.

The Grass Carp stocking remained the same to my dismay but with more push back I think we can get that number decreased as well.

My brain is about full but I believe with the changing of the Deputy Director recently that one or two of those seats are being looked at presently. I could be wrong and they may be filled. Not certain.

Clark or Phillip may be able to answer immediately.

I am due to have a talk with some upper levels today or tomorrow on a different subject but will ask as to that as well.

[Strick9]

Something else we should know very soon is whether the joint memorandum agreement between SCNDR and Santee Cooper as to the Santee system management plan was reformed to make Herbaceous components their own separate protected category aside from the Aquatic component.

In the last several memorandum agreements both were lumped into one sum of acreage with the herbaceous ( trees) occupying a majority of the FERCs requirement for native vegetation allotments.

We pushed very hard for separation as its only logical but no promises.

Anything of this manner would be a huge step in the right direction as to aquatic vegetation.

I was recently asked to address this subject and have prompted both SCNDR and Santee Cooper to provide me with the final agreement.

[Coot_Commander]

I betcha santee cooper would grow all the grass in the world if somebody slips them a manilla envelope with an undisclosed amount of cash.

[santee11]

Big money....

[willyworm]

Something else we should know very soon is whether the joint memorandum agreement between SCNDR and Santee Cooper as to the Santee system management plan was reformed to make Herbaceous components their own separate protected category aside from the Aquatic component.

In the last several memorandum agreements both were lumped into one sum of acreage with the herbaceous ( trees) occupying a majority of the FERCs requirement for native vegetation allotments.

We pushed very hard for separation as its only logical but no promises.

Anything of this manner would be a huge step in the right direction as to aquatic vegetation.

I was recently asked to address this subject and have prompted both SCNDR and Santee Cooper to provide me with the final agreement.

I went to a couple of these meetings with Bog and it seemed preposterous that trees were counted as "vegetation acreage". With all the damn trees counting as aquatic vegetation acres, they can get away with killing off all the vegetation and still be within their own allotted acreage parameters. Seems to me that if one were to remove the trees acreage that they're a long cry from that magic number.

I sat there and watched a DNR biologist testify to the low health of the current carp condition due to not having any food left to eat, only to have a member of the committee push a vote to stock more carp into a system already chock full of em. I guess this is how gov't really works. This can't be the best we can do for management of the fishery and the eco-system as a whole.

[Strick9]

^ Yep, the health index for the Carp is below 1 in most studies.

Like I said its a multi million dollar money laundering program in many cases.

[Maggie Glover]

I used to be on the aquatic weed control committee on the private lake that I live on in Florence. the hoops that we would have to go through to spray was enormous. So enormous that, as an organization, we abandoned trying to spray the upper end of our lake and left it natural, which is to say, covered in grass and weeds. Covered to the point that full grown trees are now growing on the floating mats and it would surely take mechanical means to have any chance to remove that vegetation. Spraying non-native versus native is completely different. This guy is railing on the native species.

I was at those meeting over a decade ago when Santee-Cooper was up for their recert. and thought we had a real chance to make a difference. The result made me question the public hearing process. God speed to this guy, good thing the Clinton's are not on the FWC baord. MG

[willyworm]

^ Yep, the health index for the Carp is below 1 in most studies.

Like I said its a multi million dollar money laundering program in many cases.

Talk about a waste of money.

[Silentweapon338]

I went to a couple of these meetings with Bog and it seemed preposterous that trees were counted as "vegetation acreage". With all the damn trees counting as aquatic vegetation acres, they can get away with killing off all the vegetation and still be within their own allotted acreage parameters. Seems to me that if one were to remove the trees acreage that they're a long cry from that magic number.

I sat there and watched a DNR biologist testify to the low health of the current carp condition due to not having any food left to eat, only to have a member of the committee push a vote to stock more carp into a system already chock full of em. I guess this is how gov't really works. This can't be the best we can do for management of the fishery and the eco-system as a whole.

Y'all got mad when Duck Tape tried to cut the stumps.

As to MG, now that end of that lake is useless for ducks and anything that uses the top of the lake accept mammals that use it as a bridge to walk across.

Instead of bitching about the grass, you all need to start supporting all the duck ponds around Santee. I have never seen so many ducks in my life as there are now. Granted they may not be there for yo to shoot during the season, but most of that is weather related, not grass related.

Wait till early summer and the mating pairs and sheer numbers born and survive as wild ducks is unreal. We use to have 1 mating pair a year if we were lucky. Last year we had to watch were we cut the grass not to run over them. They were a pleasure to have a around, the geese are a non starter. I hate them.

But the point being I've seen a steady increase in duck numbers year after year sense all these evil duck ponds have been built. That isn't a coincidence! If you want ducks support the duck ponds. It is a win win. You all get more ducks, and we keep the water ways clear of grass, of all varieties!

[FEETDOWN]

Hang on, let me grab some popcorn. Don’t start without me....


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