Michigan Posting Signs & Treatment Information

NO! Nearly all available aquatic plants controls are SELECTIVE (i.e., they control some plants but not others). Intelligent aquatic plant management uses this selectivity to remove particularly problematic plants while leaving others unaffected. This approach minimizes interference with recreation while leaving desirable vegetation that provides BENEFITS to the lake (see below).
Harvesting cuts all plants in the affected area, but plants are not killed and will regrow. Intelligent aquatic plant management removes the most problematic aquatic plants, which are typically exotic species, while preserving desirable native vegetation.

NO. And even if you could, you shouldn’t. Trying to keep a lake that has good growing conditions free of plant growth would be like trying to keep all plant life from growing in your front lawn — it just doesn’t make sense! …unless you pave it. (And if that’s what you want, build a swimming pool.) Aquatic plants are an important component of the lake ecosystem. They provide many benefits, including stabilizing sediments, oxygenating the water, providing habitat for fish and invertebrates…

NO. There is a 24 hour swimming restriction within 100 feet of any treatment area of the lake.
Actually, all of the herbicides that we use do not have a swimming restriction on the product label.
However, the EGLE does not want you in the water during treatment for your safety and ours. If you
see a boat spraying, please exit the lake, we come in close to shore! Treatment notices will be posted on the day of treatment along the shoreline of all treated areas. Therefore, if your area does not have a notice (sign in yard) then you do not have a swimming restriction. Also, offshore areas of the lake (deeper water) will be safe for swimming and boating.

YES AND NO. Several of the herbicides that will be applied to the water do have turf and ornamental flower irrigation restrictions. The restrictions can range from 3 days to 14 days. If you pull water from the lake to irrigate, please read posted sign carefully to determine your irrigation restriction for that treatment.

NO. A dog would have to drink several thousand gallons of treated water to observe any noticeable effect. However, we do not want your dog in the water during or right after a treatment. Some of the herbicides we use become inactive if the sediment is stirred up in the water column. Therefore, keep the pets out of the lake for 24 hours!

YES! There are no fishing restrictions with any of our herbicide treatments. The herbicides used do not accumulate in the fish. They are safe to eat… ENJOY!

Not necessarily. The most environmentally responsible control technique depends on the goals of the management program and the type(s) of plants to be controlled. In some cases, harvesting is the best choice. In other cases, harvesting can exacerbate aquatic plant problems. For example, we would not recommend harvesting a lake with an uncontrolled Eurasian watermilfoil population because harvesting will speed the spread of this aggressive exotic plant and hasten the replacement of native plants.

In lakes, algae treatments are usually intended to remove filamentous algae (i.e., mats of threadlike algae that grow on the bottom or floating at the surface). Algae treatments to lakes do not control planktonic algae (i.e., the microscopic algae that are too small to see and give the water an overall green color). Planktonic algae control would require treating the entire lake, which is rarely feasible in larger bodies of water (it often is feasible in ponds). Controlling planktonic algae problems in lakes usually requires controlling the sources of nutrients that fertilize their growth.