Milford chronicle., 1953-10-16
Haven Lake Civic
Group Held Meet

bordering on Haven Lake, this
week.
Following a resume of some of .
the activities of the Association
since it's last session, the follow
ing were elected to the Board of
Directors for the ensuing year, as
follows: Messrs. Harry H. Null
holland, Jr., William V. Sipple, Jr.,
Lewis Harrington, Garrett L.
Grier, Frank Donovan, Charles f.
Banning and a Representative of
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, to
be named by that organization at
a later date.
Mr.. Jay L. Harmic, a State of
Delaware Fisheries Biologist, gave
comprehensive report of the
weed control program that has
been undertaken at the lake dur
ing the current year. 1t was fur
ther disclosed by Mr. Harmic that
during the year materials worth
$605.51 had been purchased and
used; 1920 man-hOurs were con-
sUmed at a cost of $1,3S0.00 and
transportation was listed at $132.
The complete Harmic report
follows:
Haven Lake Weed Control
The need for aquatic weed con-
troll has been in evidence for some
time in Delaware. Numerous Of our
shallow mill ponds have silted in
and vegetation has progressed ac-
cOrdingly The ponds continue to
be less attractive to the angler and
concepts of fisheries management
illustrate that heavily vegetative
ponds are not as productive as
those with little or no rooted plants
present.
During the fall of 1852 the Del
aware Game and Fish Commission
was petitiOned by the Haven Lake
Civic Association to initiate a weed
control project on the lake In
terests in this case being chiefly
from property owners adjoining the
lake, as well as from the Veterans
of Foreign Wars interested in
swimming facilities.
Haven Lake, located at Milford,
Delaware, has long been one of
the favorite fishing lakes in Del
aware. This impeachment of ap-
prOXimately IS acres has had dur
ing the past several years a rapid
succession of submerged aquatic
grOwths of Elodea, commonly call
ed waterweed, and MyriOphyllum,
known as cOOntail
1t was noted during the summer
of 1850 that this growth was about
half way down the pond and water
up to five feet in depth was heav-
lily infested; the entire bottom in
those areas being covered with the
plants.
During 1851 and 1852 the ad-
vancement Of these two plant spe-
cies could be noted. By the end
of the summer of 1852 the entire
lake bottom was covered.
Throughout most of the 1852
bass season these plants arose to
the surface on more than seven
eighths of the lake thus making
fishing impossible. The ElOdea was
the most prevalent plant on the
surface at that time.
1t was apparent that the weed
problem in Haven Lake could seri-
Ously affect the harvest of fish.
Fishing pressure fell off to almost
nothing.
After conferences with personnel
of the L. S. Fish and Wildlife Ser
vice and with members of the Hav-
en- Lake Civic Association, it was
decided that the following proceed
ure should be used in the attempt
to eradicate the submerged aquatic
plants
Q Draw the lake down as
far as possible.
(2) Spray the exposed area
with PAD.
CD Spray the remaining water
with sodium arsenite.
Work preliminary to the spray
/ ing was done. Landowners were
contacted and told of the proceed
ure that would be used. Points of
access were obtained to facilitate
transportation of material and
equipment. Materials and equip
ment were obtained.
The lake was ug2ined and as soon
as it was down, spraying with g.
4,D was started A commercial
chemical "Weed Be Gone" was
used. This is the anime salt of
PAD with acid equivalent of 41@6.
Diesel fuel was used as a carrier.
This was applied at the rate of
about pints of the commercial
chemical in "a gallons of fuel oil
to the acre. Several patches of
weeds were so thick that they
were treated the second time as
the first application did not wet
the plants. Three gallon hand pres
sure sprayers were used over
most of the area; however, a Is
gallon power spTayer was used
where it could be transported. This
treatment was not as thorough as
was anticipated. The pond bottom
was so silted that it was impossible
to get over the bottom on much
of the area. 1t was then decided
that we would refloOd enough of
the pond so that all areas not cOvu
cred on foot could be treated with
sodium arsenite from a boat.
After this treatment, the pond
was allowed to remain dry thus
giving the sun access to the vege-
tation through the month of July.
Sodium arsenite was applied to
the water area of the pond during
August. This chemical was put in
at the rate of four parts of arsenic
] to a million parts of water, a
concentration heavy enough to kill