Whirling Disease In Alberta

[krk]

Sad news reported today from Banff National Park. Whirling Disease has been confirmed in Johnson Lake

 

http://news.morningstar.com/all/canada-news-wire/20160825C4217/first-case-of-whirling-disease-in-canada.aspx

[danhunt]

No words. I hate to ask, but does this lake connect to the Bow?

[monger]

Is it possible there is flow through a little power station right on Hwy 1 and then off to the Bow? Looks like most flow comes from Two Jack lake to the power plant.

Does anyone know if water goes from Johnson to the power plant via a gated pipeline?

At least there is Sebee, Ghost and Bearspaw in the way

[bcubed]

Monger,

It flows out of the lake and then hugs those hoodoo cliffs before a culvert further south then the Cascade power plant

 

http://globalnews.ca/news/2903536/infectious-whirling-disease-found-in-fish-at-banffs-johnson-lake/

[angler]

Water out is Johnson Creek down towards TCH and the beaver ponds along the hoodoo area then percolates. Don't think there is a direct connection to the Bow via Johnson Lake, but I'm ready to stand corrected.

[jtaylor]

Different disease but would literally cry if this happened to the bow

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37177181

[DonAndersen]

Wonder how it got to Johnstone Lake?

[fishteck]

This is potentially a devastating event, but hopefully CFIA that has jurisdiction over the control of movement of both fish and humans, we will see containment of the disease. It is important for us to realize that the weather we have encountered this year puts fish under stress. Low Bow River flows, high weed growth with higher than normal water temperatures stress fish populations. Add Whirling Disease and thing will only deteriorate.

[Dangus]

Time for some rotenone. Clear house and nip it in the bud.

[monger]

There is a ton of sediment in the river with all the bank collapses as well. This is ideal for the host worms to grow in

[dryfly]

Hope they get on this stat. Not good.

 

Some opinions:

• It is higher than the valley and water flows downhill.... Unless there is a definitive barrier, the water will connect to the Bow drainage one way or another.
• Origin? Who knows? But probably a tourist angler...just a few hours from MT. Or something else.
• Totally agree with Bron. Nuke the lake ASAP with rotenone and federal eco regs be damned. No time for committee meetings and budget approvals.

OMG, I fished Johnson from circa 1957 to ~1961 .... used Black Gnats and McGiintys with a torpedo bubble and spinning rod. We used to drool at the occasional pig trout that would leap clear of the water out in the middle ... no craft allowed then.

[BurningChrome]

 

• Origin? Who knows? But probably a tourist angler...just a few hours from MT. Or something else.

Could've just as easily been a local angler who went south and brought it back. Either way it's time for everyone to be more diligent about cleaning gear between water bodies.

[BrianR]

I hope they get after this post haste.With this identified in Montana years ago,i am surprised that it has taken this long to rear it's uglyness here.Other countries that have it or even have had rumors of it.Have been very proactive NZ,Australia,etc.

Even more reason for us to all get behind,these inspection stn's & support the efforts.

[Nachako]

As much as I hate to say it . After all the testing. If it is contained there " Yes nuke it " But as one of the many locals that start there float tube and canoe season in Johnson lake . I'm more concerned on how far has it already spread. Would be quite surprised if it is only contained to that water shed.

[SilverDoctor]

Very true we have been very complacent here for many years, it's just recently we have instituted boat inspections. Hope there is som education for wade fisherman as well in next years regs.

[bowbonehead]

In that its in a lake that has been stocked its likely the fish were infected prior to stocking which is the way it has been spread primarily in the past most notably in Colorado even after they knew the fish were infected at the hatcheries...... but continued to stock them

[angler]

To my knowledge current population is self sustaining. Not stocked for years now.

While in NZ had a couple of conversations about wd and the spread. NZers now find that the spread is more by trampers who may cross multiple stream in a day than anglers.

 

As for R. Not gonna happen. Remember Black Thursday a few years ago? Parks took a serious hit over a poisoning plan.

[Wazzy]

Lakes in the Parks haven't been stocked for years. 1988?? ish...The fish in Johnson Lake are naturally reproducing, wild trout.

[Nachako]

Lakes in the Parks haven't been stocked for years. 1988?? ish...The fish in Johnson Lake are naturally reproducing, wild trout.

X2

[Ricinus]

Does rotenone kill the parasite or just the fish it is infecting and the parasite lives on in the mud and continues to spread? I would like to know if this is a viable solution or a knee jerk reaction. As for how far it has spread I guess that would depend on how migratory the fish are..

 

 

Mike

[Wazzy]

Does rotenone kill the parasite or just the fish it is infecting and the parasite lives on in the mud and continues to spread? I would like to know if this is a viable solution or a knee jerk reaction. As for how far it has spread I guess that would depend on how migratory the fish are..

 

My thoughts exactly....From anything I've read, a dead fish infected with whirling disease is a much greater threat than a live fish with whirling disease. From my understanding, it is once the fish dies, that the disease multiplies and spreads. As far as I know, there is no known solution to completely eradicating the parasite. Tough situation.

[bowbonehead]

Spores can reside in the mud for more than 20 years and are so far have been impossible to eradicate so they may have been there all along and the government does not always tell you everything they know ..... just saying

[DonAndersen]

Guys,

I attended the first WD conference in Alberta.

The Montana Biologist reported that he knew the fish in the Madison were in trouble for some years before he detected infected fish.

While he was concerned about the fish, FF types were rejoicing in the number of larger fish they were catching.

He also described the bug this way. " if an eagle ate a diseased fish, *hit on a river bank where the *hit dried out and 25 years later the *hit washed into the river, the disease bug would still be alive.

Browns are not effected as bad as rainbows. They grew up with the disease in their native lands.

 

Don

[Dangus]

As far as I know rotenone will kill the worm host. How well it kills all of them, I have no idea. That being said, eliminating fish eliminates the things spreading the disease (people/fish). By suppressing the amount of worms/parasite in the lake to potentially be moved by waterfowl helps in that aspect.

 

But I'm totally talking out of my ass

[monger]

Rotenone impairs the fish's ability to take up oxygen from the water. Perhaps it has the same effect on tubifex worms. The parasite is another matter