2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Share info on fishing Champlain.
Post Reply
User avatar
USFWS Lamprey Guy
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:15 pm
Species: Sea Lamprey

2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by USFWS Lamprey Guy »

This press release was given to local media outlets today. I wanted to pass it along to keep you in the loop as to what will be treated this fall. The additional large colored map at the end shows our plans for future treatments as well. I think it's valuable to keep you informed of our plans and make it known that we are actively engaged in controlling existing populations and adapting and expanding the program when needed. This fall will be the first treatment of two recently detected populations in the Little Chazy River and Rea Brook.

Image
Image
Image
~Brad Young~
User avatar
Reelax
Site Admin
Posts: 5730
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:27 pm
Species: Salmon, steelhead, brown trout
Location: Fletcher, Vt

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by Reelax »

Thank you Brad! I can't tell you how much this means to all of us...

Excellent efforts!!!
Matt B
User avatar
fishingmachine
Posts: 860
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:48 pm
Species: salmon,Lake trout
Location: Rutland

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by fishingmachine »

well done!
User avatar
keithm87
Posts: 641
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 5:28 pm
Species: Trout and Salmon
Location: Central VT

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by keithm87 »

I understand the idea behind the 4 year cycle is that the lamprey are hatched and living in the rivers for 4 years before going into the lake, but has there been consideration to increase frequency on the problem areas? I am thinking of the Laplatte. We are seeing close to 50% of fish this summer with fresh wounds in front of burlington and shelburne. I have dispatched more lamprey this summer than the last 3 summers combined, and many fish are coming up with 2 or 3 lamprey on them. It is MUCH worse than last year, and last year was bad compared to 2016. Last trip out on 6 fish we killed 5 lamprey. that was on fish by juniper, appletree bay, and all the way over by 4 brothers. I would think that if they live in the rivers "about 4 years" that treating every 3 years would be the best way to ensure that all lamprey in the river see lampricide.
User avatar
raz
Site Admin
Posts: 4286
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:02 am
Species: Coldwater fishes!!!
Location: LAKE CHAMPLAIN UNITED!

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by raz »

Thank you so much!
Catch and serve with lemon.
Gerry
User avatar
Captain Paul
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:14 pm
Species: lake trout,salmon,panfish

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by Captain Paul »

Hey Brad thank you for the work you guys do. I have one Question for you though how come no granular treatment on the VT deltas ?
User avatar
Captain Paul
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:14 pm
Species: lake trout,salmon,panfish

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by Captain Paul »

keithm87 wrote:I understand the idea behind the 4 year cycle is that the lamprey are hatched and living in the rivers for 4 years before going into the lake, but has there been consideration to increase frequency on the problem areas? I am thinking of the Laplatte. We are seeing close to 50% of fish this summer with fresh wounds in front of burlington and shelburne. I have dispatched more lamprey this summer than the last 3 summers combined, and many fish are coming up with 2 or 3 lamprey on them. It is MUCH worse than last year, and last year was bad compared to 2016. Last trip out on 6 fish we killed 5 lamprey. that was on fish by juniper, appletree bay, and all the way over by 4 brothers. I would think that if they live in the rivers "about 4 years" that treating every 3 years would be the best way to ensure that all lamprey in the river see lampricide.

Keith I think we have seen more Lamprey this year also but I wonder if it is because of the lack of Salmon in the area has put more lamprey on the Lake trout but either way the Fish are way healthier and fight way harder than they did 5 years ago.
User avatar
USFWS Lamprey Guy
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:15 pm
Species: Sea Lamprey

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by USFWS Lamprey Guy »

Keith and Paul,

You guys are both right. Just to add a little - we are seeing evidence of higher wounding rates on Lake Trout, but not salmon. But our surveys are an average of the whole lake. We have basin-specific data too, but because lamprey and trout&salmon mix throughout the lake, it is more meaningful to assess the lake as a whole annually. I believe Keith and wish I had a simple answer to why you are seeing more around Shelburne Point. Truth is, like most things, it is not simply one variable that is responsible. As Paul pointed out, the host population, the proximity of hosts to lamprey at different times of the year (related to water temp, thermoclines, turnover, forage availability, forage proportions to one another, plankton population dynamics, water clarity, etc... ) all factor in. Also, I'll use this opportunity to once again beat the drum that lamprey are not localized. Lamprey that you see in Shelburne Bay are just as likely to be hatched from the Poultney or the Pike as from the LaPlatte. We recently did a very successful treatment of the LaPlatte. What you are seeing in Shelburne Bay now is real, but not a result of letting a bunch go loose out of the LaPlatte. We also have sizable populations that live off shore on the Saranac and Ausable Deltas. Those are extremely difficult to assess and to treat, but we are doing that in 1 month. It is harder to evaluate our success following delta treatments too, so our true effectiveness there is harder to determine.

We have age and growth data on lamprey too. We know how long they take to mature. If they were maturing in 3 years with any regularity, my assessment chief and his crew would see that and would wave red flags instantly and we would treat every 3 years if necessary. But we are not seeing that in any Champlain tribs at this time.

Regarding VT Deltas - It's a matter of geology - the NY tribs in the Adirondacks come down off the slopes, close to the lake, and there is very little habitat for the larvae to inhabit before the rivers hit the lake. Therefore, the high flows and fast current flush many out onto the deltas in NY. In VT, there are miles of slow, barely flowing, lake-level influenced water prior to the VT tribs reaching the lake. Therefore, in VT, the larvae drop out and stay in the rivers in VT. They don't get flushed onto the deltas in VT in the same way that they do in NY. It's a matter of slope - pure and simple.

Given all of that detail - just wanted to make sure you know we hear you and we are not satisfied either. We have added two new treatments this fall. We have designed and built two new specialized barriers and have two more in the works. We are seeing measurable improvements in Quebec after the installation of the Morpion Barrier. We have plans to add another trib in NY to the treatment rotation next year. We want to get the numbers lower and we are taking steps to continue sealing off all the "gaps" that we find. It seems like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, but we'll keep playing.

While we have seen evidence of recent upticks in lamprey numbers, we are also seeing bigger and healthier salmon and lake trout have begun reproducing naturally in higher numbers for the first time since they were reintroduced. Plus river-run salmon are on the climb as we learn better ways to raise and stock them. So there is some good news to be thankful for too. Rest assured, we are not sitting still and doing the same thing year in and year out. As the lamprey change their tactics, so do and so will we.
~Brad Young~
User avatar
Cas
Posts: 440
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 7:57 am
Species: the kind that swim
Location: South Burlington

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by Cas »

Brad - thanks for taking the time for the well informed response. Really glad we have people such as you and others there doing what you do for the fishery, and your willingness to talk to us, and listen to us. It's much appreciated, thanks.
________
Mike
User avatar
keithm87
Posts: 641
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2015 5:28 pm
Species: Trout and Salmon
Location: Central VT

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by keithm87 »

Brad I appreciate the response, and all that you folks are doing to help bring the issue under control. Has there been any research that explains why places like Lake O don't see the wounding rates that are seen on Champlain (anecdotal, but from the folks I have talked to Lamprey are fairly uncommon on Kings, Browns, Coho, Lakers, and Steelies out there) Is it just an economy of scale factor, bigger lake means that the lamprey are just more spread out as there are fewer suitable spawn areas per volume of water? Or are they benefiting from other factors (old industrial rivers, with dams and locks limiting lamprey access to spawn grounds)
User avatar
Captain Paul
Posts: 527
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:14 pm
Species: lake trout,salmon,panfish

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by Captain Paul »

Thank again Brad keep up the good work
TUnamas
Posts: 854
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:16 pm

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by TUnamas »

Brad - Thanks! Not only to USFWS for the work you do, but for the time you took to explain it to us! Whack-a-Mole? Don't get tired! Would love to see more river run salmon, but cautiously concerned about the low flows this year.
troutcrazy
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 5:21 pm
Species: crappie, trout, salmon, perch

Re: 2018 Sea Lamprey Treatment Plans

Post by troutcrazy »

Nice work! Thanks for keeping us informed.
Post Reply