Thread: Orange Lake Spraying

While it is true that nature generally takes care of itself, we've often altered landscapes to the point of rendering some of those restorative methods ineffective. For example, in Florida, a lot of lakes would cycle between natural periods of high water and low water (storms, hurricanes, drought, etc.). These natural fluctuations would help control organic matter buildup (through oxidation and flushing), regulate nutrients, and periodically rejuvenate fisheries (ever hear of “new reservoir syndrome”?). We’ve altered many lakes here. People want stable water levels on lakes that aren’t naturally meant to be stable. We’ve altered the hydrology and re-plumbed many lakes and marshes through the use of canals, water control structures, dikes, etc.. The natural mechanisms that are designed to keep things in order have been hampered.
As others have stated, it is often best to nip exotic plants in the bud (no pun intended) before they get out of hand, as they can proliferate to problem levels in short order. Aquatic herbicides, when properly used, can be a cost-effective and labor-saving tool to help managers deal with problematic plant issues. They often walk a bit of a tightrope between maintaining proper levels of plants, the desires of many diverse users, budgetary constraints, weather conditions, seasonal timing and proper application windows, chemical effectiveness/plant resistance, while minimizing harm to habitats and the critters that use them. It’s hard to please everybody.

I’m not saying what they do is always pleasant, but sitting on their hands and doing nothing is not acceptable either, based on the reality of current conditions and the wants/needs of resource users in Florida. Plant biologists aren’t out to “nuke” everything indiscriminately. They are often interested in people's opinions and try to schedule their work around important fishing and hunting seasons, if possible. I’d encourage any of you to talk to biologists or attend meetings related to plant/fish/lake management, etc. when they come up. I'm not a cheerleader for herbicides, but I think they have their place, given the state of things.