Sweetwater Fishing Forums

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: 4weightfanatic on September 21, 2011, 06:17:35 PM

Title: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: 4weightfanatic on September 21, 2011, 06:17:35 PM
A local lake that I have been catching a few bass out of has recently been targetted by the Sunshine Coast council Waterboard in an effort to clear Cabomba weed. Divers have been deployed in the lake to rip it out by hand where it is being piled on the bank to rot. Surely getting in there and removing it this way (don't know of any better I suppose) will break the weed up into millions of pieces allowing it to be transported by flood water alot easier. Considering last seasons rain and a similar forecast for this wet season and the timing just prior to the start of the season is this the best action ? One morning I was there two guys from the water board stopped for a chat and I raised this issue with them stating surely it's a waste of time both, of them in a round about way agreed. I'm no expert on pest plants but have a background in aquaculture and horticulture and know how easily aquatic weeds regenerate even from areas that have completely dried up. I don't know the solution but I know where the water that flows out of this lake goes and that thought is frightening. I'm sure there is plenty of info and experience with this weed and are interested to know what others opinion to this council action is. Cheers PAT.
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: takrat on September 21, 2011, 07:23:37 PM
Mate Cabomba has been a big problem for quite a while in Clarrie Hall Dam. I'm told that they harvest it from time to time to use to make fertiliser. Does that sound probable?
JD
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: rayke1938 on September 21, 2011, 08:09:49 PM
It is pretty much a lost cause trying to eliminate it. I think that you will find that they are just removing it from a small area to allow swimming .
 Cheers
Ray
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: Binder on September 21, 2011, 08:19:50 PM
If its macdonald, they sometimes use divers to clear an area for kids fishing days near the BBQ area.
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: 4weightfanatic on September 21, 2011, 08:54:10 PM
Takrat I can see the feasibility of the weed being composted and recycled at least something can be made from a bad situation.  And Ray the lake is definately not a swimming lake as it is kind of hidden and doesn't have easy public access - thankfully alot of people wouldn't even know its there. Pat #### No it is not MacDonald it is less than the size of a footy pitch.
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: rayke1938 on September 22, 2011, 06:03:27 AM
Wonder who is actually doing it .Is it the local council?
 I thought that SEQ water owns all the sunshine coast water supply dams and the local water boards no longer exist.
Seq water only use the divers to clear for swimming or take kids fishing days otherwise they ignore it. Recent infestation of Kurwongbah good example of this. Its gradually taking over the whole lake.
 Cheers
Ray
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: 4weightfanatic on September 22, 2011, 09:55:12 AM
Nah this is not a dam but a natural lake along a water course. The guys I talked to had emblems on their shirts one side reading Sunshine Coast Regional Council and on the other side something with Waterboard in it didn't quite get a good look as frankly they were eating into my limited fishing time. One thing I know though is their activities have shut the fish down so I will be giving this place a rest for a week or so. Cheers PAT.
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: Dick Pasfield on September 22, 2011, 03:51:41 PM
Some one delivered a paper at the QLD weed sympossium recently on trial work using a herbicide on cabomba. The trial was a success but at the expense of the native veg.  More work needs to be done but the results are cause for a ray of hope.

We managed to get rid of salvinia out of the lake over here.
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: 4weightfanatic on September 23, 2011, 07:48:48 AM
Cheers Dick I had thought about the use of some herbicide - I think there's some type of Glyphosate with BioActive in it's name that is supposed to be used for aquatic weeds and safe for the enviroment but I'm dubious as to it's low toxicity. The downstream areas is what worries me as its on a tributary of a major river. I'm just wondering whether it is just a PR exercise to let the public know it is doing something. The two guys I met from the waterboard were very accomodating answering any questions I asked and perked up when I asked had any survey been done on the aquatic life in there saying they'd put their hand up if there was to be. Cheers PAT.
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: takrat on September 30, 2011, 07:58:17 PM
At least we don't have any "rock snot" yet
JD
Title: Re: Control of Cabomba weed
Post by: Sweetwater on September 30, 2011, 09:29:04 PM
I wonder if there has been trials at to how well Snub Nosed Gar keep this weed inder control. Gar are supposed to be part of the reason for the disappearance of the vast weedbeds on Somerset, Wivenhoe & Cressbrook dams.