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

[troy goldsby]

Aqua Services, Inc. is the only aquatic herbicide application company on the reservoir. The only applications this year, so far, above highway 60 have been in Dayton in Mud Creek. Above the Hiawassee there are only 3 areas that we apply aquatic herbicides. Those areas have not been sprayed this year. They are on the list but it will still be a couple of weeks before we are there. Thanks for the post.

Troy

 

[DaytonBoatDock]

Troy,
You said "s. None of the herbicides that we use have any swimming restrictions or fish consumption restrictions." And on the boat ramp in Mud Creek there was a sign that said not to swim for a certain amount of time. And you also said that you were the only ones that sprayed. Can you please explain this?

 

[koda4u]

Where are these 3 areas above the Hiwasse that are still to be sprayed in the near future?

 

[Hank's Dad]

Troy, now that you're a member of the CFF will you fish a CFF tournament with me? emoPoke emoToast emoBigsmile emoFish

 

[troy goldsby]

You misread the sign. There are no swimming or fish consumption restrictions associated with any of the herbicides that we use. There are some domestic use restrictions like irrigation and drinking water in the immediate vicinity of the herbicide applications. Some of the herbicides don't even have drinking water restrictions, only irrigation. Each sign posted will list the herbicides, restrictions, and the duration of the restrictions. We are the only application company on the reservoir and none of the signs posted list swimming restrictions, and they never have. Thanks for the questions. Attached is a copy of one of our signs. The signs in mud creek are structured exactly the same but have a different permit number and permittee. The main permit numbers for Chickamauga and Nickajack are listed on the sign attached.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

Those areas are Moon Slough, Holly Glen Shores, and a few homes about 1 mile upstream from Holly Glen Shores on the East Bank. Not a lot of area, but they get really impacted, especially Moon Slough and the far upstream homes. We have treated Holly Glen Shores for several years and their slough is really shaping up. Let me know if I can help further.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

Absolutely, it will be tough in the summer months, but maybe a fall tourny will work out. Let me know some dates and we will plan on it. Thanks a million.

Troy

 

[finbully]

Troy,
I appreciate you coming on this forum and providing information and your views on this subject. You are in a tough spot with some of our angling community, believe me, I feel your "pain". I work for TVA and before that worked at two other utility companies since 1987. I’ve spent the last 25 years doing my best to keep electricity prices as low as possible and as safe to life and the environment as possible. There are some people that you simply cannot talk sense to or make happy no matter what you do. For them, I pity what must be their miserable existence. I believe you have done a great service to inform the uninformed (myself included) on this hot topic.
I don’t like the introduction of herbicides or any other chemicals into a body of water just like most other people. Having said that, I like a nice lawn and use fertilizer and herbicides on my lawn and landscaping. My bass boat is powered by a two-stroke engine that releases emissions to the air and water. I use electricity that is produced by fossil fuels, water, wind, solar, biomass and uranium. And oh, yea I have several bags of trash that I set out on the curb for pick-up every week. I drive to work and play (usually over the speed limit thereby adding to emissions) with vehicles that produce emissions. At times, I have had an oil leak on such vehicles that due to gravity flows downhill eventually ending up in a water supply. Heck, I even have a pressure release on my backside that functions regularly.
My point is we live in a society where chemicals are necessary. They have added to our quality of life, more so than reduced it. If anybody wants to go Jeremiah Johnson, they are free to do so. I have been saying the aquatic herbicide issue’s responsibility rests squarely with the State, who issues the permits. I’m wondering if this sort of aquatic vegetation control is a “necessary evil” just like the externalities of my business, utilities. After all, our lakes and rivers are for every person’s enjoyment along with commerce activities we benefit from, not just a select few may they be lake front property owners or anglers.
Lastly, if anyone on here thinks I may be crazy or just plain goofy, I am! I think it is because in the mid-sixties when I lived in Charleston, S.C. we used to run behind the mosquito fogging trucks to play in the fog. Really nice, hu? No cancer yet…

 

[SpurHunter]

emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoUpsmile emoWorthy emoWorthy emoWorthy emoWorthy emoWorthy

 

[troy goldsby]

Thanks for the post and the good comments, and I will keep fighting the good fight. I know it is right and it is important for the truth to be known. Thanks again and I will look for future posts from you.

Troy

 

[Carl Guffey]

<font face="georgia,palatino" size="2">Troy, </font></p>

<font face="Georgia" size="2">Thanks for your comments on a very difficult subject. We may not agree with what you are saying, but at least now we are hearing both sides of the conversation and we are more informed. I do agree with and have been stating that to much grass or aquatic vegatation is as bad as none at all. By what ever means is available, bass and other aquatic species do better when there are open areas and boat lanes for the fish to move out into and feed. Because no matter how much forage is swimming among the vegataion, if it is hiding, it is not available. </font></p>

 

[Fishingron]

Oldman - 7/1/2011 12:08 PM

they said agent orange was safe too.

Won't argue that point but I had a lot dumped on me and I'm still here so don't guess it kills everything.
Troy stepped up, made his point and no one put a gun to his head to do it. You asked for info, he
did his best to provide it. He could have left you in the dark and let you guess about whats going on.
Kind of reminds me of what carl guffey says. We grow when we're not trapped in out own little universe.
I take "chemicals" for my blood pressue. You want to skip them for 20 years to see if they're safe or do
You want your heart to kill you while you wait and see?

 

[troy goldsby]

Carl,

Well said, too much is absolutely as bad as none. It is also a fact that aquatic vegetation, especially exotics, acceleration reservoir aging. Look forward to your future posts and thanks.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

Fishingron,

Thanks for the kind words, it is always encouraging to know that some folks are listening. I look forward to hearing from you again. Also, I gather from your statement that you were, and maybe still, a member of our armed services. I thank you for your service.

Troy

 

[Fishingron]

You're welcome Troy. I was, but am not now. Now the rest of you go hug a vet because you're still free to openly express your opinion in this forum what ever it may be.
Ron
228th Aviation Battalion
1st Air Cal
RVN

 

[Oldman]

some of you can suck up to this bull s---t if u want but not this old man.but it is your right to disagree.

 

[Fishin Fool]

Troy I have a few questions, and I hope no one considers this "venom", but you mentioned in one of your posts quote:

" Yes, killing too much vegetation will also drop oxygen levels due to decomposition, but we aren't killing too much."

Then in a later post you say, quote:

"FYI, the weight of hydrilla in 1 acre, 8' deep is 40 metric tons. So, our clients, with about 1/2 acre, 4' deep have about 10 metric tons of hydrilla or around 20,000 lbs. We can spray that in about 5 minutes or a harvester can hours."

Do you not consider 20,000 lbs of plant material in a half acre a lot of vegetation? If you can kill 20,000 lbs in 5 minutes how much tonnage do you think you can kill in an 8 hour shift? Are your permits generally for more than an acre of surface? if so what is the largest area you are spraying in terms of acres?

If you kill these thousand upon thousands of tons of plant material, doesn't that add to the issue of nutrients in the water, and create more plants? If you kill thousands upon thousands of tons of plant material, how much oxygen is lost during decay and the resulting later growth of algae?


One other thing, in another post you mention "I was asked to clear the air and bring facts to the table and that is all that I have done." So who asked you to "clear the air"? Was it a fisherman? A land owner? Just curious, you don't have to name names, but it helps to know that someone else asked you to post.

I hope you don't take these honest questions the wrong way. I think a lot of folks would like to know the answers to them. I hope that asking isn't offending anyone.

 

[troy goldsby]

Oldman,

Nice to know how you really feel.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

Fishin fool,

To answer your question, if I have a contiguous block to spray using a subsurface injection with no interruptions, I can spray a lot. Now you have to consider that we have to stop to refill with fuel and herbicides, run from location to location, or trailor to separate locations, post signs, etc. However, if I remember correctly I treated 120 acre by myself one day several years ago. Our permits in Tennessee limit us to boat lanes and 100' feet from fixed structures, but no more than 2 acres for a single landowner.

No, it is not causing oxygen drops when we spray because plant mortality takes place over several days and the areas we spray are surrounded by much more vegetation than what we are killing. Oxygen loss typically occurs in small impoundments or coves when all the vegetation is sprayed at one time. In those situations we treat the water body with 2 or 3 separate applications to avoid oxygen drops, or use fluridone which takes several weeks to achieve total plant mortality and eliminates those quick oxygen drops. In these areas we seldom see filamentous algae take the place of the hydrilla because of the surrounding plants taking up the nutrients and quick return of the hydrilla we spray. As a matter of fact, I can't recall algae, besides lyngbya, being an issue in our treatment areas. Anyway, if it is we kill it with the application also. And no, we aren't adding anymore nutrients to the environment by killing these plants than natural mortality does.

I was asked by Churly to join and answer questions. Please let me know if you have anymore. Oh yeah, our largest treatment are right now is about 10 acres, in Tennessee anyway.

Troy

 

[BulletTJ]

IF the lake is only sprayed around dock areas, and that is a BIG IF, this is not the way it was done in the 1980's. Troy you know your chemicals but you don't know Chickamauga in the 80's. The flats that run along the main lake river channel were covered in milfoil. These flats average 7-10' deep. The grass ran most of the length of the lake from HSBP to above Moon Slough, North of Hiwassee Island. The bass fishing was great. The creek channels remained clear for navigation. I dont know what chemical that TVA used but they killed every blade of grass on the lake. I am talking about the grass on the main body of the lake, not the grass in coves. It killed the fish and the fishing. Just days after an area was sprayed the smell of dead fish would make you puke. There were huge patches of dead grass floating down the river. The fish that survived were so skinny you could read a newspaper through them. They lost the majority of there ambush points so the lost weight. The lake has made a come back in the last few years. Oddly enough the grass has made a come back at EXACTLY the same time. The milfoil was gone from the vast majority of the lake since 1989. Fishing got so bad I quit bass fishing. The lake was destroyed. The BASS Masters held their Classic here in 1986. I think it was 86. The lake got destroyed soon after and they stopped coming here. The Classic brought millions of dollars in to the local economy. The Pros have resently returned and now the powers to be are back tryin to kill the lake again. I TRUELY hope you are the ONLY people spraying the posion in the water because I think you are doing what you say you are doing. I just hope it stays that way. The older fishermen in this area are skeptical because we have been lied to by TVA for so many years it is hard to trust anything they say. As for you convincing us that the grass is bad for fishing, you are wasting your time. I have NEVER been to a lake that had milfoil in it that didnt have great bass fishing. Look at Lake Guntersville. If it wasnt for the grass and the great bass fishing the city of Scottsboro would dry up and be a ghost town.
The merchants in Scottsboro will tell you the lake and the tourist money it brings in is why they are still in business. That is not the case here in the Chattanooga area and that is the reason Chickamauga is treated different than Guntersville.