Partial Draining of Johnson Lakes to combat Whirling Disease
 

Opinions-Can this work?

https://globalnews.ca/news/6074485/j...rling-disease/

I think they used whirling disease as an excuse to drain the lake and get rid of the non-natives (ie. brookies) in johnson lake. Might as well try and kill 2 birds with one stone right?

Hopefully it works to get rid of whirling there, but as others have stated, it wouldn't take much for an eagle to swipe an infected fish from the nearby bow and transfer the disease back to the lake. I'm not a biologist but that seems plausible.

Next question is, how long can the spores survive without water? From what I gather, the spores are activated by water

The spores are in the soil. Soil to worm, worm to fish. Getting “rid” of whirling disease by draining a lake is at best, laughable. Imo. There is no scientific proof of this being successful, anywhere! At least in my web searches. I’m not a biologist but work with people who have PHDs that I wonder how they get dressed in the morning without instructions. So because they “think” it will work, I have my doubts. If the data exists to prove this theory, I’d sure like to read it. And I’ll be the first to admit I am not as well informed as I think I am on this scourge.
FHD

National Parks is filled with FOOLS!

I fished the Missouri river downstream of Holter Dam near Craig, Montana last June.

The Montana experience with whirling disease was 15 years ago, with the similar 90 % die off. What trout where remaining was resistant to whirling disease. Plain and simple.

The solution is really very realistic. Stock the infected water bodies with trout taken from the resistant stocks in Montana. The disease will run its course, and the population will rebound quickly as the resistant fish fill the gap left from the non resistant fish.

Drewski

I believe that's the right way to go.
 

[QUOTE=Drewski Canuck;4044531]I fished the Missouri river downstream of Holter Dam near Craig, Montana last June.

The Montana experience with whirling disease was 15 years ago, with the similar 90 % die off. What trout where remaining was resistant to whirling disease. Plain and simple.

The solution is really very realistic. Stock the infected water bodies with trout taken from the resistant stocks in Montana. The disease will run its course, and the population will rebound quickly as the resistant fish fill the gap left from the non resistant fish.

Drewski[/QUOTE

I'm not a biologist either, but it sounds more reasonable & doable.

So...in November of 2016....3 years ago...Parks Canada considered draining Johnson lake....

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...lake-1.3842765

Just wondering what took them three years?

Also wondering where they are draining the water to?

Highly unlikely that it will ever be stocked again. If any stocking does occur, it will likely be long nosed sucker.

This is all part of Parks Canada's long term plan of eradication of non native species.

To quote Parks Canada;
"the CFIA would destroy the trout, which are all non-native species that were introduced to Johnson Lake years ago."

Do a search...in Banff alone, Devon lakes, Hidden lake, Rainbow lake and Cascade creek and Moraine Lake have all been targets of efforts to eliminate non native species of fish.

Yes, apparently it has worked in the past. The CBC interviewed a biologist from down in the states who confirmed that this has indeed worked in some locations. It has also failed in some locations even after multiple attempts.

So Yes it can work. Though I am a bit surprised that poisoning of a lake will take place in a national park.

Drewski, You Nailed It!
But, lets "overthink" everything and take measures that are labor intensive, more costly and questionable. IMO.
The only way they are going to be able to "confirm" that their solution is and has been successful is to stock fry into a filled lake and monitor the results. THAT should take a couple of decades the way these things work now! I agree, it will be the end of fishing Parks lakes unless you like catching suckers or daces.
Soon, we will see Parks Biologists sitting on the shores, with a hair driers in their hands drying out the soil because the spore NEED moisture so this would be a GREAT solution! :confused0024:
FHD

This is nonsense and akin to peeing in a cup of water pouring most of it out and calling it drinkable