April 11th was an important day in GSWA’s continued investigation of a control method for Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM). A productive meeting was held at the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (MNRF) office. Members of our Aquatic Invasive Species Task Group participated as did staff from the City’s Environmental Planning Department and two guests invited from Quebec for Milfoil Madness - scientist Giorgio Vecco and engineer and owner of Bock-Aid In., Rob Perrins. Thank you to the 100+ enthusiastic people who attended the evening event.

We wish you to know that GSWA is pursuing the approval of the jute control method through the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the MNRF. The jute method is under examination by MNRF science staff and we are working with them to determine how we might contribute to these efforts. GSWA also plans to work with all levels of government and with the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations.

GSWA would like to caution homeowners that the provincial and federal governments have yet to approve the jute control method for EWM and that your shoreline and lake bottom areas are Crown land. We have been informed that installing jute burlap without regulatory approval would be in contravention of the Public Lands Act, and the landowner could be charged.

UPDATE:

GSWA’S Application for Approval is working its way throughout the regulatory process.

• DFO has acknowledged receipt of our Application and is in the process of reviewing it

• Jute control has already been approved in Quebec, and this will help inform DFO’s decision

In the meantime, learn to identify EWM and be diligent to avoid it and to Stop its Spread!

• Inspect and remove fragments from your boat, motor and trailer, preferably with high pressure spray

• If spraying is not possible, then dry everything for at least 5 days

• Drain the live well and bilge

• Avoid boating through EWM - the prop cuts and spreads it

• If you see EWM fragments floating in the water, scoop them up and dispose of them away from the waterbody

• Never cut EWM - any tiny fragments will re-root and can make the problem much worse

• Learn to identify EWM and to differentiate it from indigenous aquatic plants