First Post From Aqua Services, Inc., The Aquatic Herbicide Application Company

[troy goldsby]

Bigkuntry1282,

Read the signs and see who the permitee is. The signs that aqua services uses for private applications and homeowners does not say anything about 150'. Homeowners permits and the permits for the Tennessee River Property Owners Aquatic Resource Management Association are for 100 feet from fixed structures. The ramp at Soddy is not a private dock and is not a homeowners dock and it is not part of the association.

Troy

 

[TR20bh]

you can't make a blanket statement that only native plant species are beneficial to a fishery & exotics are not. i know fisheries biologists in TX that will tell you that one of the main factors that makes Lake Fork such an xtraordinary fishery is a controlled amt. of hydrilla. My brother just retired from the SC DNR after 37 yrs. as a biologist & will tell you that although it can be hard to control, hydrilla & milfoil were main factors in bringing back the quality of bass fishing at Santee Cooper as other forms of cover rotted out over the years. It is many times the only hope for an aging reservoir as other cover deteriorates.

 

[churly]

I would really like to see you guys come out and help at Chester Frost Park next wednesday the 27th at 5pm. If keeping this lake chemical free and protecting this river is important to you, I hope you will come out and help us! The guys from TVA will be there, and it will be a great chance to show them that fishermen are willing to donate their tiime to protect what is important to them. If we dont have a good showing, they will have no choice but to spray the entire thing. Please pm me and let me know if you are coming!

 

[cast4bass]

I will be out of town but you might consider changing the time because 5 would be tough to make if your have office hours that end at 5

 

[troy goldsby]

TR20bh,

My statements have been that natives are better than exotics, too much of any aquatic vegetation is bad, and exotics will always become a detriment to a water body. Yes, if you take a lake void of all cover and vegetation, and add exotic species, it may aid the fishery for a short time. However, that will not last and the exotics will become a problem. Your references to SC and TX are fine, but you should also look at their aquatic vegetation control programs. The last time I checked they were extremely aggressive in their approach to controlling exotics. The bottom line is that exotics are never the best way to go and their drawbacks far outweigh any momentary or perceived benefit. Their is always another option. Exotics are also illegal to plant and transport and are a huge problem for all aquatic species, activities, and utilities.

Troy

 

[churly]

I didnt set the time TVA did. I hope some people show up.

 

[Hagen]

I will be there with a truck and utility trailer.

 

[TR20bh]

troy goldsby - 7/22/2011 8:08 AM

TR20bh,

My statements have been that natives are better than exotics, too much of any aquatic vegetation is bad, and exotics will always become a detriment to a water body. Yes, if you take a lake void of all cover and vegetation, and add exotic species, it may aid the fishery for a short time. However, that will not last and the exotics will become a problem. Your references to SC and TX are fine, but you should also look at their aquatic vegetation control programs. The last time I checked they were extremely aggressive in their approach to controlling exotics. The bottom line is that exotics are never the best way to go and their drawbacks far outweigh any momentary or perceived benefit. Their is always another option. Exotics are also illegal to plant and transport and are a huge problem for all aquatic species, activities, and utilities.

Troy

Yes, if left uncontolled, they will become a problem, but contolled in an acceptable coverage, they can be extremely beneficial to a fishery. I am also well aware of SC's control programs & know that they are much more selective than TVA & their permittees in the typesof controls considered. They would not use SONAR because conclusive evidence on its long-term sterilization of the lake bottom was never made, or introduce grass carp or other invasive species for plant control which can end up more devastating than any exotic plants. For you to state that hydrilla & milfoil NEVER are good for a fishery long-term is YOUR opinion & if managed properly, many fisheries biologists would disagree with you.
I & many others here are just apprehensive that your & TVA's "management program" is complete eradication & we've seen what that has done to this now fine fishery.

 

[troy goldsby]

TR20bh,

I have to ask, have you read all of the posts, it seems like I am repeating myself and the facts. Controlling very small areas is all that we are doing, of any type of vegetation. However, only controlling small areas of noxious, invasive, exotic species, like hydrilla, is not really control. Those types of vegetation are very aggressive and should be managed in an aggressive manner. Controlling the exotics, and trying to replace them with natives, is the best option. I don't believe you have enough knowledge of any of the current control methods on the Tennessee River System to make judgements about our efforts. Your information about sonar or any other fluridone brands, is just wrong. It does not sterilize the lake bottom and as I have previously stated, in the appropriate circumstances, it is one of the best products on the market. Fluridone can be used in a very selective fashion to control exotic species and leave the natives, as demonstrated time and time again. No one has or will mention grass carp in the Tennessee River System because of the fact that they are not very selective eaters. My statement about exotics not being beneficial long term is not opinion but fact, and I have all of the evidence to back that up. You view aquatic vegetation from one small stand point and don't see the overall picture. A byproduct of these reservoirs is the fishery, they were developed for navigation, travel, industry, hydro-electric power, water supplies, etc. The recreational aspects are all byproducts. When you look at a water body, try to view more than just that in which you are interested. Your apprehensions are misguided and just wrong. Eradication is not the goal and is virtually impossible, and you have never seen what "eradication" does to a lake. If the vegetation had been "eradicated" in chickamauga, it would not be there now and never would be again. That is the definition of "eradication".

Troy

 

[cast4bass]

The recreational aspects are all byproducts. When you look at a water body, try to view more than just that in which you are interested. Troy[/QUOTE]

I never knew my purchase of fishing licenses, fishing tackel, boat, motor, etc was considered a by-product. All those sales taxes paid, all that excise tax paid, all that gas tax paid for gas never used on a highway, all the income taxes paid to build and maintain the waterways and fishing and fishermen are by products - WOW! That is an interesting take.

 

[troy goldsby]

cast4bass,

I am not saying that recreational activities aren't beneficial, I am simply trying to get folks to look at more then their own interests. Fishing, boating, swimming, etc. are all beneficial aspects of our reservoirs, but they were not the reason for the creation of the reservoirs. These reservoirs were created for the greater good of all through power generation and navigation. Certainly, we benefit in other ways, but those benefits were not the original intent of our reservoirs.

Troy

 

[Carl Guffey]

<font face="georgia,palatino" size="2">Nor are they (recreational fishing)anymore then a mere drop in a 55 gallon drum of economic impact. Just look at the money being either raised or saved from having reservoirs along the Tennessee River. Power by coal, Nuclear, or aquatic generation are a major revenue source along with the transportation of goods via barges and other water craft.Let's not forget all of the payrolls paid out to people who built all of the dams and plants. Or the lives and property that have been saved from the prevention of flooding.</font></p>

<font face="Georgia" size="2">How many people have taken a young person fishing or contributed in a way that would cause a young person to contribute to the economic impact of fishing? Everyone who has become a parent, married someone and moved them into this area, or just moved to this area, is contributing to the economic impact of the river system.</font></p>

 

[cast4bass]

troy goldsby - 7/23/2011 10:14 AM

cast4bass,

I am not saying that recreational activities aren't beneficial, I am simply trying to get folks to look at more then their own interests. Fishing, boating, swimming, etc. are all beneficial aspects of our reservoirs, but they were not the reason for the creation of the reservoirs. These reservoirs were created for the greater good of all through power generation and navigation. Certainly, we benefit in other ways, but those benefits were not the original intent of our reservoirs.

Troy

thanks for the response - Just did not like the term by-product - Alos what Carl says +2

 

[jim4596]

I just wish i had the arrogance of troy, dumping poisonous chemicals in our water and then sale everyone on how great it is. i wish i could operate a business like that. its called snake oil. "here, take a drink of my kool-aid." lol.
in my first or second response i asked troy to drink a glass of it. i still havent heard him say he would. yet he preaches the safeness of it. but yet there is a warning he posts on docks that clearly says that water isnt drinkable for 7 days after he sprays....but yet he claims its safe.
his guys wear gloves and aprons when handling it, yet he claims its so safe. emoLaugh
this topic is a joke. his point of view is a joke.
you guys can go hang out with troy and befriend him if you want to. to me he is nothing more than a person that dumps poisonous chemicals in our childrens drinking water.

 

[jim4596]

and by the way, i enjoy the fishing, swimming, skiing, tubing, boating, flood control, recreation, etc that the tn river produces and by the taxes that i pay (sales, lake property, fishing license, boating registration, etc).
and by the way, i make my money by power generation too.

i still dont think its alright to dump poisonous chemicals in our drinking water.
thanks!

 

[jim4596]

and does anyone know what the "definition" of exotic/invasive species is? they have been here since prior to the 1800's, which is longer than most of our families have been here, but troy uses this word so that he can sell everyone on the fact that they are "non-native." so then the question is, are we all non-native/invasive people since we havent been here since the beginning of time? emoLaugh emoLaugh emoLaugh

 

[MadBomber]

jim4596 - 7/23/2011 11:07 PM and does anyone know what the "definition" of exotic/invasive species is? they have been here since prior to the 1800's, which is longer than most of our families have been here, but troy uses this word so that he can sell everyone on the fact that they are "non-native." so then the question is, are we all non-native/invasive people since we havent been here since the beginning of time? emoLaugh emoLaugh emoLaugh

</p>

According to the American Indians, We are!! kemo sabe! </p>

 

[troy goldsby]

Jim4596,

Not sure which species you are talking about, but Hydrilla was initially found in the U.S. around 1960. But hey, why let the facts get in the way of all of your myths and rumors. The rest of your post doesn't even deserve a response. However, whenever you want to post some more myths about aquatic vegetation or aquatic herbicides, I'll be glad to correct them for you.

Troy

 

[jim4596]

Troy, i got my factual information from the site that Carl posted and the site that you said was a good site. Also read in on some other sites i looked at.
Thanks

http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=3055

"Eurasian watermilfoil is a submersed aquatic plant that invades lakes, ponds, and other aquatic environments throughout the United States. The plants are rooted and the stems grow up to the water surface, usually reaching 3 to 10 ft. (0.9-3 m) in length, however they can be as much as 30 ft. (9.1 m) long. Eurasian watermilfoil forms dense mats of bright green, finely dissected, whorled leaves. The delicate leaflets give this plant a feathery appearance. Eurasian watermilfoil requires stagnant to slowly moving water and can tolerate brackish conditions. Once established the dense mats of leaves restrict light availability, leading to a decline in the diversity and abundance of native macrophytes. In addition, Eurasian watermilfoil displaces the native species of watermilfoil and reduces habitats for fish spawning and feeding. Eurasian watermilfoil is native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. It was accidentally introduced into the United States sometime between the late 1800s and 1940s."

But i still havent seen you reply as to why there is a warning on drinking the water for 7 days after you spray (as evidenced in the picture that was posted)? is it cause the chemicals are so safe?
I have said it before, some chemicals are essential to our lives. having a grass free lake isnt a necessity and dumping poisons in our water is definitely something we could live without.
thanks.

 

[BulletTJ]

The reason for the 7 day drinking delay is due to the FACT that in 7 days, with current flow, the poision will be way down stream from the application site. Just follow the dead weeds down stream after it is treated.