NORWAY — The city of Norway is going to try a natural application in the treatment of Eurasian milfoil at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources boat landing.
Norway City Manager Ray Anderson said approximately 90 acres of milfoil has been found in the city’s area of responsibility at Sturgeon Falls.
He said two options for the treatment of the invasive species were investigated — chemical application of 2-4-D and natural weevil application.
“My understanding is you apply this chemical and years down the road you keep applying it. Another option is natural — a weevil bug or milfoil bug that plants eggs in the stems of milfoil causing them to die out,” Anderson said.
The weevil is a native insect to the Menominee River that lays eggs in the stems of the milfoil plant. As the larvae hatch, they use the milfoil stems for food, which causes the milfoil to collapse and die.
Anderson said there has been success in other areas with the natural treatment, but not enough to effectively eliminate the milfoil. By planting a large quantity of weevils, the native inspect eats the milfoil and survives over winter on the bank of the river and returns to the milfoil beds to eat year after year.
Electrical Supervisor Joe Pickart said there are two beds on the boat landing and six acres of the city’s 93 acres that has this invasive species.
“We’re proposing to treat them with weevils to see how it reacts,” he said.
Pickart said a chemical treatment would cost $23,000 in the first year, half that the following year, and about $10,000 for years after that. It is hoped that there would be fewer recurring costs with a weevil application.
Trying the natural weevil approach at the DNR boat landing satisfies the city’s requirements under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for 2008. Under the license, the city has to implement a plan and treat invasive plant species.
Council members awarded EnviroScience the contract to apply weevils at the boat landing for a price not to exceed $16,489.
In other action, council members:
— Approved change order No. 3 in the amount of $291,943.91, which brings the contract total to a price not to exceed $687,279.55. This is for the extension of the Iron Street project to include Mine Street.
— Approved a change order to the Sturgeon Falls Hydro Trash Rake for a not to exceed price of $14,500. This is for a trash rake on the Westinghouse side of the power plant. Because of the new construction the trash rake will not pass through the power house as it did before so their will be a separate rake on each side of the dam. The old rake set up on the GE and vertical side of the power house will be utilized.
— Tabled a lease agreement by Ray Manicor for permission to use 20 acres of city owned property to hay and graze his horses.
— Adopted a resolution to recognize May 5 to May 9 to be Drinking Water Week and encourage all residents to become aware of earth’s most valuable resource. This is to help celebrate and bring public awareness to Drinking Water Week.
“The whole idea is to promote the utility and what it brings for its residents,” Anderson said before audience members watched an American Water Works Association (AWWA) informative video on water.
Lisa M. Reed’s email address is lreed@ironmountaindailynews.com
