State Gets Earful From Lake Rousseau Anglers

More than 50 fisher men and women recently took the opportunity to tell state water managers their observations of the plants and fish on Lake Rousseau in west north-central Florida. Some anglers were not happy; some said things were okay - everyone, anglers and water managers alike, agreed that the muck buildup in the lake is affecting fish spawning; they wish there were a way to remove the muck and the advancing Lyngbya algae to expose the sandy bottom beneath.

The June 3rd meeting was hosted by Mr. Rob Hatton of the Lake Roussea RV and Fishing Resort near Dunnellon. Representing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was Mr. Terry Sullivan, plant biologist with the Bureau of Invasive Plant Management. Representing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was Mr. Jerry Krummrich, fisheries biologist. State Senator Nancy Argenziano (District 3) also was in attendance and spoke of her concerns.

Mr. Sullivan presented a slide show on invasive aquatic plant management and fielded questions about herbicide toxicity, possible herbicide effects from upstream treatments, treatment frequency and plant abundance. Sullivan said that hydrilla, which only two years ago filled much of the lake, was now under “maintenance control” thanks to herbicide treatments.

Mr. Krummrich described current electro-fishing data for the lake, saying that Lake Rousseau ranks “average” in its number of bass over 15 inches long, compared to other bass lakes in the state. Krummrich said he does not believe Lake Rousseau has been overfished but that for a number of reasons young fish are not surviving to adulthood.

Senator Argenziano praised plant and fish management efforts in general but specifically objected to a lack of progress in controlling the nuisance algae, lyngbya. Lyngbya is a black-looking blue-green algae that is quickly replacing submersed plant beds in a number of north central Florida rivers and springs. Argenziano believes management agencies are “using band-aids” to control the rapidly expanding algae.

Audience members asked a variety of questions: “Aren’t the fish contaminated by the herbicides? - why the 3-day fish-consumption restriction?”; “What’s causing shoreline plant reduction; isn’t there supposed to be a 12-foot fringe all around?”; “Part of the lake bottom has no plants; didn’t the herbicides kill off the eelgrass as well as the hydrilla?”; “Why don’t you control hydrilla by drawing down the lake like they do at Rodman Reservoir?”; “Why have the floating islands been destroyed?”; “Where have the birds gone?; What about saltwater encroachment?”; “Why not put it back the way it was?” While some complained that shoreline plants have been greatly reduced, others complained that their fish camps were difficult to get to because of too many plants. Another said he lost $100,000 in the six month period that hydrilla got in the way of fishing, but things are good now.

V.R.

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