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

[troy goldsby]

BullettTJ,

Never claimed to be an expert about the spraying that was done on Chickamauga in the 80's. But I am an expert on what I am and Aqua Services is only spraying fixed structures. As for what anyone else has ever told you, that is not my battle, I speak for me and Aqua Services and I am telling you the truth. I never said vegetation was bad for fishing but too much absolutely is. Go to an American Fisheries Society meeting sometime, or call an Auburn professor, I can assure you the stats are there to prove you are wrong. Research spring creek on lake Seminole, it give you all the insight you need. When you are ready to fish a lake that has been ruined by weeds, let me know, I'll take you too plenty. Those folks used to sing your tune, now they hire us to kill the weeds and really build them a good fishery, the way one should be built and managed.

Too the idea of the fishing dollars in Scottsboro, ask the locals how much better Roseberry is now over 3 years ago. Most exotics gone, natives flourishing. As for the merchants, ask them what they will do without residents. When all the fishermen have gone home, there are still thousands of residents and thousands of recreational boaters. I would still like for someone to show menthe fishing money vs. The property tax/recreational money. I look forward to your next post.

Troy

 

[Fishin Fool]

I certainly appreciate you responding. But I want to ask another couple things and I promise I'll shut up!

Who determines what a boat lane is? Do you or is the government or the land owner?

How wide is a boat lane? Again who determines that?

You said no more than 100; from a fixed structure, which I assume means a dock. In the case of say, the IBEW club in Birchwood, which has a good half a mile of docks, if I understand, you can spray an area, 100 feet out for one half mile or more in order to cover all the docks?

Would it surprise you to know that commercial harvesters totally disagree with what you say about plant decay and plant regrowth? I'm not saying it surprises me, after all they are in the business to make money, but do you not agree that a guy that was harvesting weed would be bashing chemicals? It's kinda like selling cars, the Ford guy doesn't like Chevrolet and vice versa.

Finally I am curious about this group you have created. Why did you feel the need to create it? Doesn't it make more sense for a land owner to approach the state on their own? Why did you and your company feel the need to bring everyone under a single umbrella? How much does an average spraying cost around a single dock?

troy goldsby - 7/2/2011 5:01 PM


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

 

[Fishin Fool]

Quote: "I would still like for someone to show menthe fishing money vs. The property tax/recreational money."

I hope this doesn't indicate whose interest you have in mind. It almost sounds as if you are saying that fishermen don't contribute near enough to the economy versus the land owners and the recreational boaters. Again, not spewing "venom", just wondering what you mean. The implication, which I hope you don't mean, is that we don't contribute enough for our concerns to be heard. You didn't mean that did you? Please don't let this offend you. I am just trying to see where you are coming from on all this and what you mind set is.

 

[troy goldsby]

Boat lane are Determined by the vegetation. They are 50 feet wide and extend from treated areas that are still surrounded by weed out to open water.

I can only treat 100' from fixed structures and no more than 2 acres per property owner. I guess the case could be made that marinas are made up of several owners but I have not been faced with that problem, yet.

I am not bashing harvesters. I think they have a place just like every other control method. It just isn't as efficient or cost effective. Not something we will do.

I formed the group to provide needed aquatic resource management education. Also, the permit fee has gone up to $690 per year per applicant and can take 6 to 10 weeks to acquire. People that apply now won't be able treat until nearly September. This was a way to reduce everyone's cost and waiting period. Aqua Services, Inc. Charges $227.50 per half acre per treatment, usually 2 treatments are needed annually.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

Fishin fool,

It doesn't show any bias or preference. It is just an old argument that I have never seen numbers on. I know fishermen pay their fair share, the argument is from your end, you act like residents and recreational boaters don't pay theirs. It would just be nice for points to be followed with stats or facts.

Troy

 

[finbully]

Any possibility of me hooking up with you some day when you spray?

 

[finbully]

BulletTJ - 7/2/2011 4:01 PM

Troy you know your chemicals but you don't know Chickamauga in the 80's.

In all fairness, pleeeezzzzeeee get over the 80's.

 

[AreTheyBiting]

troy goldsby - 7/2/2011 5:12 PM
I formed the group to provide needed aquatic resource management education. Also, the permit fee has gone up to $690 per year per applicant and can take 6 to 10 weeks to acquire. People that apply now won't be able treat until nearly September. This was a way to reduce everyone's cost and waiting period. Aqua Services, Inc. Charges $227.50 per half acre per treatment, usually 2 treatments are needed annually.

Troy

So what your saying is the people that have a financial interest in spraying have formed a group to short cut or bypass the laws and time required to get a permit?????????

Do you think We would see it ok as you and your group controlling the spray permits? or simply making it easier to spray?

Im sorry but you lost all credibility with me on this one

its obvious you will take any means to continue to spray regardless of the over all effect on the lake as long as "It's EPA approved"

Does no one else see the hypocrisy in all of this?

 

[troy goldsby]

Finbully,

Sure, my number is posted at the bottom of the first post of this thread, give me a call.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

AreTheyBiting,

I haven't circumvented any laws and actually took the idea to TDEC, in person, and they agreed it was a good idea. To ease the burden on the property owners. We are following all laws and we haven't bypassed anything. The permits were posted 30 days before issued on TDEC's website and in the Chattanooga times free press, and then a full article was written in the Chattanooga Times Free Press a full week before issuance. You could have spoken up then and not one person did. It appears the only one consumed with their own interests is you. Don't make allegations that you can't substantiate. And I can assure you, if your annual fishing license was $690 and took 6 to 10 weeks to receive, you would look for a more efficient way of acquiring that license. That is all that we have done. I will look for your future posts.

Troy

 

[AreTheyBiting]

Im done posting on this

Its obvious where your interests lie

you have a financial stake in this and obviously used the government far better than I ever have

Keep posting your innocence and spraying your poison

 

[BulletTJ]

Guys I give up. We are beating a dead horse. The simple fact is, we the fishermen are not paying to have the lake sprayed with chemicals. We are talking to someone that is getting paid by others to spray it. We are not going to get Troy to admit it isnt the healtiest safest solution to the so called grass problem. As for getting over the 80's I did that long ago. I was simply saying that as many huge lies we were told back then, it makes skeptics out of us TODAY! If the lake gets killed again it should be a CRIME and someone should be held accountable. Troy I wish you the best, but I have to disagree that dumping poision in our waters is somehow doing us a favor. This will be my last post on the topic. Whenever there is a project that doesn't envolve poision let me know. I would love to help. I'm out of this topic. emoBang

 

[SNUFFY]

If you wanna make friends here Troy ......Just post some good maps with all the Hydrilla and Milfoil platted out where they/we can go fish it!!!!!! Make all kinds of friends that way !!!!! Update them on a regular basis!!!!

 

[troy goldsby]

AreTheyBiting,

I am glad you finally realize where my interests have been and remain, with the TRUTH. And I will keep posting what is right, controlling vegetation with most effective, cost and time efficient, and environmentally sound manner, with herbicides. Maybe we can have a dialogue in the future.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

BulletTJ,

Your not beating a dead horse, you are trying to beat one that never existed and never will, especially when it comes to me and Aqua Services, Inc. Once again you have no stats or facts to back up your claims, rumors, and myths. When you do please post them so we can continue our dialogue and keep an important issue in the open, and have an honest discussion. As for me dumping anything in the water, it just isn't true, I can account for every drop of herbicide that I put into Chickamauga reservoir, and it isn't that much. I think I have already said this, but just to make sure it is know, these are herbicides, they kill plants not animals.

Troy

 

[troy goldsby]

Snuffy,

The only thing I came to the forum to do is tell the truth and clear the air. Now, if I make some friends in the process that is great, but it is extremely important to get the truth to the folks that honestly want to hear it. As for a map of the weeds, just grab a map of Chickamauga and head up either bank, you'll hit vegetation pretty quick. The west bank would be best if you are looking for hydrilla. Or hey, just go to Nickajack or Guntersville, or Pickwick, plenty of hydrilla in those reservoirs, you don't even need to look for it.

Troy

 

[Buoy-Master]

Troy. Welcome to CFF and I for oneappreciate your honesty and dedication to educate us on what you do. I agree chemicals suck but I also know they have a place on society any more. Seems you are very cautious with what you use and how you go about it. </p>

I know that spraying has been going on for a few years and I seriously cannot see any harm to our fishery at all....yet. I would think a huge treatment would do that! Pellets being dropped out of the sky sort of thing. Your method is controlled and needed to some degree. I would understand that if I was a dock owner. ( although I might try some mats first ) </p>

</p>

A person mentioned going on a spray one day. What about a photographer to document up close what takes place?</p>

 

[troy goldsby]

BBass,

Anytime, just grab my number off of the first post and give me a call. Thanks for the post and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Troy

 

[billyc]

Without political pressure, how the hell does someone get a permit to spray chemicals on something they don't own? I did not know that when you bought a lake lot that it went out to deep water no matter how far that may be. I and everyone on this forum owns that water you are spraying you just answer to the one that pays the most. How about, lets see if we can get the property assessor to come out and measure the area you treat by measuring the area with no vegetation left in it, and since the propery owner must own this land under water it can be figured into their overall property tax assessment. The county commision and the city should love this idea to help give them even more money to waste, however I'm concerned that might put your profits at risk since rich property owners won't go for that because that would mean that they would have to pay for what they consume instead of riding the back of us peasants. Oh yeah you need to keep good measurements on those boat lanes so they can divie up the cost on those as well. Plain simple truth is if vegetation wasn't suposed to be in the lake, God wouldn't have put it there. I know this is not what you wanted to hear Troy but you are serving the ones that pay the most and of course everything your company puts in the water is just peaches and cream. Wouldn't expect anything else to be said. By the way could you answer me this one question? What is it with Chickamauga and the constant pressure on killing all the grass. God almighty, people act like it is chock full of grass and they can't get around on it . Maybe we could talk the lake owners into concreting the bottom of the lake, you could buy into a concrete company and the skys the limit on profits!

 

[troy goldsby]

Billyc,

No political pressure from our end, actually it is from your end. The only reason we need permits in Tennessee is because of folks that don't like what we do. You see, we are already bound by the label, clean water act, FIFRA, tennessee dept. Of ag, and TDEC. We can still spray in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, and Louisiana without a permit. So, you should be happy with the political pressure that has aided your cause and made our job and homeowners rights more difficult to achieve.

God absolutely put the vegetation on earth, but he didn't put hydrilla and Eurasian water milfoil on this continent. That was done by illegal transportation, I hope you don't take part in that, it's a federal offense. However, it doesn't matter what was put here and what wasn't, it they cause navigation issues and recreation issues for the homeowners, or you, they should be controlled.

I wish you would read earlier blogs, we aren't killing all the vegetation.

Oh yeah, if you don't think the homeowners have a right to river access, then the feeling that you shouldn't fish around their docks is valid. You can't have everything your way and totally dismiss the rights of others. I will look for your next post.

Troy