Trap Rock River Lamprey Census Begins Today

An effort is scheduled to begin today to estimate how many sea lamprey larvae are burrowed into the bottom of the Trap Rock River.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assessment crew will survey the river and the area just offshore from the rivermouth. The information gathered will be used to determine the need for sea lamprey control. The survey is scheduled to last through June 2nd.

Lamprey eggs are laid in gravel nests. When they hatch, the larvae are carried by currents to silty areas, where they burrow in for as long as three years before they mature. Treatment with a lampricide during the larval phase can disrupt the cycle, protecting the sport fish the lamprey would otherwise feed on.