Residents around Lake Tarpon in Palm Harbor should watch for signs that the Southwest Florida Water Management District is using a herbicide to curb the growth of water hyacinth and water lettuce. The effort is expected to last through Thursday. Water hyacinth and water lettuce are nuisance plants that can grow quickly, interfering with boating, recreation and flood control and hurting fish and wildlife.
Warning signs will be posted to notify residents of treatment dates and restrictions. After the herbicide, which goes by the brand name Reward, is applied, residents should not use water from the lake to water livestock for one day, should not use lake water for irrigation for five days and should not drink lake water for two days. The no-drinking rule does not apply to tap water.
For information, call Brian V. Nelson, Swiftmud's aquatic plant manager, at (352) 796-7211, ext. 4537.
