Corps announces flowering rush treatments
(Courtesy photo/FILE) Flowering rush is known to take over entire bays and channels.
OLDTOWN — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be performing aquatic herbicide treatments at five USACE-owned locations on Lake Pend Oreille as part of an effort to manage flowering rush in the area, Albeni Falls Dam officials said in a press release.
A minimum of 28 acres and a maximum of 60 acres will be targeted for the treatment of the invasive weed.
The treatments will cover 28 to 60 acres in the Riley Creek, Morton Slough, Oden Bay, Pack River Delta and the Clark Fork Drift Yard areas. Real-time treatment zone updates can be found at invasivespecies.idaho.gov/treatment-plans.
The Corps will use Environmental Protection Agency- and Idaho Department of Agriculture-approved herbicides: diquat dibromide and diquat dibromide plus endothall.
Treatments are scheduled for Aug. 5-16, 2024, with Aug. 19-23 as an alternate window.
While there are no fishing or swimming restrictions after application, Corps officials said domestic animals and livestock shouldn't drink from treated areas for 24 hours. A three-day restriction applies to using water for drinking or landscape irrigation, and a five-day restriction for irrigating food crops.
Corps officials said the agency will post notices 48 hours before treatment.
Separately, the Corps will be treating emergent noxious weeds on the debris control booms at the Clark Fork Drift Yard with glyphosate (AquaNeat). Only booms with vegetation present will receive spot treatments on individual plants, officials said.
The drift yard treatments will take place between Aug. 5-31.
For more information, contact Andrew Huddleston at 208-437-3133, ext. 7213, or Taylor Johnson at ext. 7225. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality regional compliance officer Mathew Colling can be contacted at 208-666-4639.