Aerial Spraying of Giant Salvinia on Toledo Bend to Begin Thursday in Louisiana

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 11.26.12

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has contracted two days of an aerial herbicide application to control 800 acres of giant salvinia growth on Toledo Bend beginning Thursday, November 29. Efforts will concentrate on shallow backwater areas void of trees, and a follow-up herbicide spray via airboats will address the remaining tree-filled waters and edges of the treatment area.

Giant salvinia is a free floating plant that does not attach to the soil, but instead remains buoyant on the surface of a body of water. It was first discovered on Toledo Bend in 1998 and was the first established population of the plant in Louisiana.

The recent drought and resulting extremely low water levels helped to keep giant salvinia growth at a minimum. However, water levels are beginning to return to normal, providing lots of open water for the plants to reproduce. Backwaters and marsh areas on the extreme north end of the lake contain large quantities of the plant, and changes in wind direction and rain can push the plants out into the main lake where it can reproduce at an alarming rate.

With cooler temperatures moving in, results may be delayed, but the overall effectiveness of the herbicide will not be impacted. Results are expected within three days, but it could take up to three weeks for the plants to completely sink.

None of the herbicides to be used are harmful to lake ecosystems, animal life or humans, and are approved by the EPA. Activities will not be restricted on the lake, but notices indicating the areas to be sprayed will be posted at all boat ramps in the area. Department personnel will also be on hand to ensure no boaters are in the areas to be sprayed.

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.