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Texans, what do you know about Golden Algae
steve45
Member Posts: 2,940 ✭✭✭
I live in Arizona and my favorite lake has benn diagnosed with Golden Algae. Az Game and Fish seems to not want to talk about it. Its going on 5 years now and fishing is completely dead, no fish left. Whats it take to get rid of this stuff?
Comments
I don't really have a clue, but I did find this link
http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/research-golden-algae.shtml
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is coordinating efforts to monitor fish kills caused by toxic golden alga, to research golden alga for better understanding and management, and to manage the recreational fisheries of Texas with river authorities, state agencies, and university researchers. TPWD Law Enforcement, Coastal Fisheries, and Inland Fisheries staff members have been involved in these efforts. Studies at two state fish hatcheries have resulted in control methods for golden alga at the pond level, however these methods are time and labor intensive and are not economically or ecologically feasible for application to natural systems.
TPWD is ready to speed recovery of affected waterbodies through the use of several resource management strategies, including restocking of the fishery. Use of this strategy remains problematic, however, as long as the affected waterbody continues to experience periodic fish kills caused by the alga. Putting more fish into waters where they would soon die is not practical. Coordinated research and management efforts about the alga and its biology remain significant and important.
To this end, TPWD has a Golden Alga Task Force that is working with researchers, other agency officials, and interested parties within and outside of Texas on understanding and working to control harmful golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) in Texas. In 2003, the Texas Legislature authorized the use of $600,000 per year for two years (total 1.2 million) for research on golden alga in targeted areas. In 2005, additional funding for continued golden alga research was authorized ($225,000) and supplemented by matching federal aid funds (total $450,000). The money to fulfill these authorizations is raised through user-based fees, specifically the licenses that fishermen pay to fish in Texas. Targeted areas include the development of management tools, approaches and technologies to help aquatic managers detect, combat, and manage golden alga in Texas. These projects are currently underway and are described on our Research and Management Page. Additionally, TPWD is committed to working with other states as they confirm the presence of golden alga. By sharing information and techniques, efficient use of resources is maintained. The solutions to the problems of toxic golden alga (like other harmful algae), will not be solved easily or quickly, although progress and successes will occur. Guidelines for Golden Alga Prymnesium parvum Management Options for Ponds and Small Reservoir (Public Waters) in Texas media download(PDF 422.9 KB) have been developed and are now available to provide information and options presently available for controlling golden alga toxic events in ponds and small reservoirs in public waters. The information is provided to help cities, water utilities, river authorities, and others evaluate options for addressing toxic events.
Ways to Help Prevent the Spread of Nuisance Aquatic Plants and Animals
Aquatic nuisance plants and animals (such as hydrilla, golden alga, zebra mussel, and other organisms) could cause ecological harm if released, or introduced into our streams and reservoirs. To prevent (or at least minimize) the spread of nuisance aquatic plants and animals please follow these general recommendations:
* Visually inspect your boat and equipment (including trailer, diving, boating, recreational and fishing equipment) for any attached plants or animals and remove them.
* Drain all live wells, motors, transom wells, and bilges on land before leaving the lake.
* Wash and flush all areas of your boat and trailer, including live wells, bilges, trailer runners, etc. with clean fresh water to remove any nuisance species.
* Empty your bait bucket on land before leaving the lake. Never release live bait into a water body.
* Never release animals or plants taken from one water body into another.
Whenever possible, these additional general recommendations from the Sea Grant Boat Cleaning Tips should also be followed:
Dry your boat and equipment to kill harmful species that were not seen at the boat launch. Some species can survive several days out of water, so it is important to:
* Rinse your boat and equipment with hot tap water (>40 deg C, >104 deg F); or
* Spray your boat and equipment with high pressure water (250 psi); or
* Dry your boat and equipment for at least five days, before transporting to another water body.
Other Recommendations to Prevent the Spread of Diseases like Largemouth Bass Virus:
* Thoroughly clean and dry livewells, boats, trailers, and other equipment between trips.
* Treat livewells with 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Make sure that contact time with bleach is at least 5 minutes.
* Drain and rinse out livewells after bleach treatment. (Note: NEVER rinse or dump water with bleach residue into ANY waterbody.
It seems to be a disease with no cure.
That isn't the case. There is always a cure, its just a matter of how much money someone wants to spend.
In all seriousness, though, copper sulfate will kill anything in the water and then the water needs drained. I have heard of them doing it to smaller lakes with some success to get rid of algae.