U.S. Fish & Wildlife to spray rivers in Alpena & Rogers City for sea lamprey

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be spraying river systems in Alpena and Presque Isle counties to try and control the spread of sea lamprey.

Lampricides will be applied to the Trout and Devils River systems to kill sea lamprey larvae burrowed in the stream bottom.

The treatments take about 48 hours to apply and are scheduled to occur between May 23 and June 2. Tentatively, lampricide will be applied to the Trout River in Rogers City on May 28.

Application dates may be changed based upon weather or stream conditions.

Sea lamprey larvae live in certain Great Lakes tributaries and transform into parasite adults that migrate to the Great Lakes and kill fish. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, failure to control larvae in streams would result in significant damage to the Great lakes fishery.

Infested tributaries must be treated every three to five years.

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