Didymo Alert - Refresher

Thought this might be a useful reminder.

Didymo Alert-Delaware Tailwaters

(from here http://www.catskillflies.com/phpBB/v...php?f=1&t=3815)

We are posting the entire informational distributed by the DEC.

Didymo (Didymosphenia Geminata), also known as rock snot, has been documented in the East and West Branches of the Delaware River. Didymo is a microscopic algae (diatom) that can produce large amounts of stalk material to form thick mats on the stream bottom. During blooms, these matsmay completely cover long stretches of stream beds. it can alter stream conditions by choking out many of the organisms that live on the stream bottom which may cause a ripple effect up the food chain to affect trout and other fish. Didymo has historically been found in cook, clear, nutrient poor waters but has expanded its worldwide distribution to include nutrient rich waters. Roivers with stable, regulated flows, such as the East Branch , are particularly at risk. It is not known how much of a negative impact didymo will have on the Delaware Tailwaters.
Late in the 2007 fishing season, didymo was verified in the East Branch downstream of Corbett and in the West Branch downstream of Balls Eddy. Didymo was more abudeant in the East Branch than the West Branch and was particularly abundant between Shinhopple and the Beaver Kill in the Eat Branch. Although Didymo appeared to be absent in the Delaware River, the main river is considered infested due to exposure from the East and West Branch. Didymo has not been documented in the Beaver Kill.
While there are many species of algae, didymo can often be identified from other algai primarily by how it feels. Native algae feels slimy and will break apart in your fingers whereas didymo is strong and feels like wet cotton.

PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF DIDYMO
There is no known way to control or eliminate didymo which is why preventing further spread of this algae is imperative. The following methods for the decontamination of equipment are recommended:
Cleaning Solutions (minimum of 1 minute exposure by any of the following:
* Hot water 140 degrees f (hotter than most tap water so heating may be required)
* Dishwashing detergent: 5% solution (1 cup detergent to 1 gallon of water).
Some "eco-friendly" brands of detergent may not be as effective.
* Beach: 2% household bleach (13 Oz. with water added to make 5 gallons)
Freezing: Freezing gear until solid will also kill didymo; however freezing may make some gear brittle or even damage it,
so an alternative method may be more appropriate.

ANGLING
* Check, Clean, Dry"
*Check-look for an remove visible algae and plant material from boots, gear or anything that has made contact with
the water or sediments, including flies, lures, rods, reels, line, net, etc..
*Clean-soak, scrub and/or expose all equipment in one of the solutions described above for a minimum of 1 minute
Absorbent items such as neoprene waders and felt sole hip boots or waders require 40 minutes of soaking.
*Dry-items should be dried completely, and then allowed to dry for an additional 48 hours when possible. Didymo
can survive for months in moist conditions. Drying is not recommended as a method of disinfecting
absorbent items such as felt solded waders.

* Because of their potential to spread didymo, use of felt soled waders is not recommended in known didymo infested
waters. Please us other alternatives such as corkers when necessary.

BOATING (INCLUDES DRIFT BOATS, KAYAKS, CANOES, ETC);
*Check, Clean, Dry all gear as mentioned above including the inside and outside of the boat.
*Remember to check trailers, paddles, ropes, anchors, etc. Drain all water from the boat.
*Carpeting trailer "bunks" and guides could harbor didymo as well: however a trailered boat may rest upon or lean
against one side of these bunks. Be expecially aware of these hard to reach areas and disinfect as thoroughly as
possible. If possible, keep the trailer bunk out of the water and winch boat onto trailer. Treat bunk with
disinfectant solution before retrieving boat onto trailer.

Anglers fishing the Delawre Tailwaters and BEAMOC system might fish multiple reaches during the course of a trip. To
minimize the need for disinfecting gear on a given trip, anglers should plan their fishing accordingly:limit fishing to
uninfected or infected reaches: or begin treip in uninfected reach before fishing the downstream infected reach.
Disinfection is needed whenever leaving any infected reach and should always be done prior to fishing any other water
after leaving the Delaware Tailwaters and the BEAMOC system.

Alan, is didymo confined to shallower water or will it bloom in deeper water as well. If it is classified as an algae I would imagine it would need plenty of sunlight in order to bloom. Also, does it require flowing water or is it being found in lakes as well?

Please consult the internet (EPA sites) for detailed information, I am no expert!

I found this from http://www.fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=4381

HABITATS for NUISANCE GROWTH

D. geminata tends to form excessive growths in
*Low, stable flow
*Water 3 inches to 6 feet deep
*Moderate to high current
*Below outlets of lakes and reservoirs
*Sunny open streams

Trust me Lopat are lakes all have their owm share of invasive growth. Eurasian milfoil is in just about every lake I've been to.

I've also been thinking that it seems like a small amount of salt kills didymo and most if not all of the species of fish in our river are fairly tolernt of salt water (Trout will swim to the ocean if given the chance, Bass at least largemouth I'm unsure of smallmouth will survive in brackish water, Sunfish survive in brackish water, etc.). I wonder if it would be possible to add some sort of salt content to the infected rivers to kill off the didymo while keeping the life of the river intacted? I am not a biologist and could be way off on this. I think the problems would be that the insect life might not be tolernt of this or perhaps I'm over estimating how much salt these fish could handle. The other problem could be that the fingerling fish might not be at all tolernt of the salt. I think by no means would this be a cheap answer or maybe this has already been tried but I was interested in what you guys think about it.

BL, not to mention the zebra mussel incasion of the Great Lakes. They have pretty much coated all the solid bottom surfaces in Lake Erie. Its ironic though because since the population exploded, Lake Erie's water has been filtered so clear that the insect life has exploded as well. On a calm day you can see the bottom clearly at depths of 20 feet.

The gobies are invasive also but they make some really big smallies.

Big 'eye's too

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