5/6/04 - Brockport has completed the April 2004 survey of Lamoka and
Waneta. Data is being analyzed but a table of Species count per
lake
has been provided: Fish DATA April
25,2004
4/1/2004 - The LWLA has signed a contract with SUNY
Brockport to basically repeat the previous study following the
treatment of Waneta Lake.
This will run from April to October 2004.
6/14/03
The Lakes' Association is considering a post fluridone treatment fish
survey
with SUNY Brockport. The scope and procedure will be similar to
the
pre-treatment study with more emphasis on fish age/size. This is
currently
in the contract negotiation / budget phase.
The following is a overview of the report generated by Nick Parnell, Ryan
Walter
and James Haynes – SUNY College at
Brockport
titled: "Assessing the Status of the Fish
Communities
in Lamoka and Waneta Lakes", 12/2002. The overview was
created
by Roger Hinsdale.
- Fish sampling took place once a month from April to October 2002.
- Sessions were 2 days of fieldwork including trap netting and
electrofishing.
- Electrofishing by boat had to be abandoned in the lakes by July
due
to the density of Eurasian Milfoil.
- 1,268 fish were captured
using
nets and boat / backpack electrofishing.
- A total of 19 species were found. (12 in Waneta and 18 in Lamoka)
- Overall condition of captured fish was good to excellent.
- Bluegill size distribution skewed toward (6"-7"). No bluegill
under
2.8" caught, and none over 8.3" caught. Similar skew noticed for the
pumpkinseed.
- Perch size distribution skewed toward (7"-9"). No perch under
6.5"
caught, and few >9" were sampled (both very unusual).
- The incredibly high proportion of bluegills captured (53% of all
fish) likely signifies an imbalance in the fish community of both
lakes. Also, there
exists a vast difference in the proportion of bluegills to pumpkinseeds
(53%
vs. 10% of all fish). A 50/50 balance would normally be expected.
- No accounts of viable natural muskellunge reproduction in Lamoka
or
Waneta have been recorded, requiring the periodic addition of
fingerlings
to augment the population.
Major conclusions / observations of survey results include:
- The proliferation of Eurasion watermilfoil (EWM) is causing
impacts
to the fish in Lamoka and Waneta through a complex, interrelated series
of effects(below). The loss of native plants and the associated native
invertebrates ("things small fish eat"), caused by the EWM
proliferation, creates a preferred prey item deficit for bluegills,
pumpkinseeds and other forage fish.
- When EWM replaces native plants there is a significant decrease
in
native macroinvertebrates. Native weed beds can
support 3-7 times the number of invertebrates as EWM beds.
- Large predator fish, such as muskellunge, pickerel, and bass are
unable to effectively hunt (feed) in dense EWM beds. Larger bluegills,
pumpkinseeds, and perch are severely hunted as they are forced to leave
the dense EWM. Hence,
few or no large bluegills, pumpkinseeds or perch sampled in the study.
- If juvenile bluegills and other small fish of other species are
sharing the same cramped habitat due to the EWM, then cannibalism and
opportunistic feeding of other species fry seems inevitable in the face
of the dwindling invertebrate food supply. Hence, the lack of small
(larger than fry) bluegills and pumpkinseeds in the sample.
- Overall, the treatment of Eurasian
watermilfoil
in Lamoka and Waneta Lakes will most likely have positive effects on
the
fish communities in both lakes.
The above overview was created by Roger Hinsdale from the final report
prepared
by Nick Parnell, Ryan Walter, and James Haynes. The report contains
tables
/graphs of the study details. A copy of the report can be requested by
writing
The Lamoka-Waneta Lakes' Association at P.O. Box 55, Tyrone, NY 14887.