Baraga County Lampricide Treatments Begin Today

Lampricide treatments are scheduled to begin today in three Baraga County waterways.

Personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will treat the Falls, Silver, and Ravine rivers. It should take about a week to complete the process.

The goal is to kill sea lamprey larvae that are burrowed in the beds of the streams. Infested tributaries must be treated every three to five years with lampricides to control sea lamprey populations.

While the chemicals used are generally toxic only to lampreys, a few fish, insect and broadleaf species may also be affected. Water from treated streams should not be used for irrigation for at least 24 hours after chemicals are applied.