Oscawana Lake and Triploid Grass Carp Lake Oscawana Civic - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Oscawana Lake and Triploid Grass Carp Lake Oscawana Civic Association Meeting Putnam Valley Firehouse – 26 August 2012 Michael J. Flaherty – Region 3 Fisheries Manager NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Triploid Grass Carp NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Grass carp Natural Range: • Native to the larger rivers of east Asia Biology: • Life Span: 14+ years in U.S. (mortality rate of 0.2) • Growth: Stocked at 10" in spring and commonly grow to 18" by the fall • Size: Up to 70 lbs in NY, reportedly up to 100 lbs in their native range • Diet: By 8 inches in length they are "strictly" herbivorous – Reported to eat more than their weight in vegetation per day • Sexual maturity: Age 3 or 4 • Spawning: Spring, in large river channels • Tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions (ponds, rivers, brackish) NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Stocking History - US • Introduced in US in Arkansas in 1963 and dispersed through Mississippi drainage • Reproduced • Diploid hybrid developed in 1970s but not effective • Triploid hybrid developed in 1983 and effective NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Stocking History - NYS • NYS study on Long Island 1985 – 1988 • Walton Lake EIS and multi year study initiated in 1987 • First legal stocking under permit began 1990 NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Triploid grass carp NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources (42 inches, 35 pounds)

Triploid grass carp in NY Current policy: • The current simplified permit procedures apply for ponds meeting the following criteria: ● Pond is 5 acres or less in size ● Pond does not have a permanent outlet ● Pond lies wholly within the boundaries of lands privately owned – Permits are issued for up to 15 fish/acre, all fish must be stocked on the same day between March 1 and November 30 for the year of the permit. After a pond has been stocked with triploid grass carp (TGC), two years must pass before additional TGC may be stocked NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Triploid Grass Carp Permits Ponds not meeting the previous criteria must be reviewed following the procedures outlined in the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) • Ponds < 10 acres: Submit Short Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) • Ponds > 10 acres: Submit Full EAF • An addendum to each of these EAFs require additional information, that is specific to TGC stocking permit review, be sent along with the application to stock. (This may vary between DEC Regions) • Occasionally a permit requirement may include post stocking monitoring • For controversial or extremely large projects, a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) may be necessary NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Triploid Grass Carp in Lakes with Permanently Flowing Outlets • A barrier to triploid grass carp outmigration will be necessary • A permit may be needed for any modification to a dam NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Waters stocked in Region 3 • Over 5400 permits issued since 1991 (many reissued for the same waterbody) • 217 in Putnam County • 25 in Putnam Valley (permit numbers through 2010) NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Larger Waters Stocked in Putnam Co Lake Mahopac, Seven Hills Lake, Lower Nimham, Palmer Lake, Lake Casse, Lake Ossi, Lost Lake, Kentwood Lake, Lake Sagamore, Tibet Lake, Lake Secor, Peach Lake, Tonetta Lake, Lake Carmel, Spring Lake NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

What happened in southeastern NYS? Vegetation control variable  Gradual results  Rapid results  Complete removal of vegetation in some larger waters  Incomplete removal in other large waters NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Possible reasons for variable results  Stocking rates - stocking less than permitted  Vegetation biomass differences 15 – 19 TGC/veg ac = 30% reduction at Walton compared to 100% at Mahopac Initial wet wt veg biomass in Walton Lk 260% higher than Mahopac NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

 Vegetation type Preferred species consumed first Non-preferred species increased in biomass and distribution NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Ecosystem Impacts  Reduced aquatic vegetation diversity  Walton Lk - Eurasian milfoil – increased as % composition of aquatic veg from 43% to ~ 100% NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Reduction in vegetation-dependent fish Walton Lake results • Largemouth bass electrofishing catch rate decreased 47 % after all vegetation was removed • Sunfish species electrofishing catch rate decreased 45 % after all vegetation was removed Increase in non vegetation dependent fish Walton Lake results smallmouth bass catch rates increased 150% NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

2003 Walton Lake electrofishing results suggest fisheries decline continued since the eradication of vegetation: • Largemouth bass catch rates declined 73% compared to pre TGC stocking • Sunfish catch rates declined 92% compared to pre-TGC stocking Many people feel fishing improves, or at least does not decline, as long as vegetation is not reduced to less than 30% of the littoral zone NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Water clarity • Variable results – no net change in secchi readings in Walton Lake and Lake Mahopac • reduced clarity in 2 other southeastern NY waters • For most waters we do not here of any change • No net increase in nutrient cycling documented in studies - possibly due to phosphorous uptake by TGC NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources

Triploid Grass Carp -Nuisance or Cure? Bass anglers may say nuisance if over stocked Lake front owners may say cure Biologists might say – it depends! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ! NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources