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The Cayuga Inlet was closed to boat traffic Tuesday for the first application of an herbicide officials hope will eventually eliminate hydrilla in southern Cayuga Lake.  The invasive species was found in the Inlet in 2011, and treatments were administered last summer.  Boat owners were also offered advice on how to avoid spreading hydrilla.

The herbicide Aquathol K (active ingredient dipotassium endothall 40.3%) was applied in the Cayuga Inlet, the Flood Control Channel, the Treman Marina and the lower reaches of Cascadilla Creek and Six Mile Creek. The herbicide is applied below the surface of the water, using a boat where possible and backpack sprayers in less accessible areas.

Endothall degrades naturally in the water, with a half-life of approximately 5 to 8 days. This, combined with the dilution that occurs as the herbicide mixes with the water, will result in most areas having low or undetectable concentrations of endothall within 14 days. The concentration of endothall in the water at various locations will be monitored several times during the next two to three weeks. The first analytical results will be found at StopHydrilla.org.

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