Sea Lamprey Control Planned for Hudson Creek

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel will apply lampricides to sections of Hudson Creek in Mackinac County, Valentine Creek in Delta County, and Bulldog Creek in Schoolcraft County to kill sea lamprey larvae burrowed in the stream bottom. Applications will be conducted on or about Thursday, July 24, through Thurs day, July 31, in accordance with State of Michigan permits. Ap plication will be complete in about six days. Application dates are tentative and may be changed based upon local weather or stream conditions near the time of treatment.

Sea lamprey larvae live in certain Great Lakes tributaries and transform to parasitic adults that migrate to the Great Lakes and kill fish. Failure to kill the larvae in streams would result in significant damage to the Great Lakes fishery. Infested tributaries must be treated every three to five years with lampricides to control sea lamprey populations.

The U.S. Environmental Pro - tection Agency and Health Canada Pest Management Reg ulatory Agency have reviewed human health and environmental safety data for lampricides, and concluded that the lampricides pose no unreasonable risk to the general population and the environment, when applied at concentrations necessary to control larval sea lampreys. As with any pesticide, the public is advised to use discretion and minimize unnecessary exposure. Lampricides are selectively toxic to sea lampreys, but a few fish, insect, and broadleaf plants are sensitive. Persons confining bait fish or other organisms in stream water are advised to use an alternate water source because lampricides may cause mortality among aquatic organisms stressed by crowding and handling. Agricultural irrigation must be suspended for 24 hours during and following treatment.

Lampricides are carefully metered into the stream for approximately 12 hours.