DFG News Archive

DFG Announces Proposal for Lake Davis Pike Eradication
Meetings Sept. 26 in Portola and Sept. 28 in Sacramento Set to Examine Range of Alternatives, Solicit Public Input

PORTOLA – The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) today announced a proposal to eradicate northern pike from Lake Davis, a 4,000-acre reservoir located in the Plumas National Forest. The announcement is the first step in an extensive process of state and federal environmental reviews that will culminate in 2006 or 2007 with a DFG decision whether or not to approve a plan to eradicate northern pike from the lake.

“Working with the Lake Davis Steering Committee to test many non-chemical control options, we’ve concluded that it’s time to evaluate treating the lake in a way that will eliminate northern pike for the long-term benefit of the ecosystem and the local community,” said DFG Director Ryan Broddrick. “The potential damage northern pike can cause heightens the need for their eradication. Ultimately, pike could become established in the Delta, threatening all anadromous species. The project we propose continues our work with the Plumas County community to develop and use a safe, effective method of eliminating this predatory invasive species.”

“What's come to light over the past few years has been the range of alternatives that have been fleshed out,” said Plumas County Supervisor Bill Powers, Lake Davis Steering Committee chair. “That is the direct result of this process being a cooperative effort between local, state and federal representatives at a level that is rarely seen.”

The proposed project would significantly reduce the volume of water in Lake Davis. Approximately 75 percent of the lake’s total volume would be removed, to 10,000-20,000 acre feet, and a liquid version of the piscicide rotenone would be used to eradicate the northern pike from the lake and its upstream tributaries. The proposed project is in addition to DFG’s ongoing northern pike program at Lake Davis, that since 2000 has involved intensive manual removal of northern pike (approximately 55,000 removed), pike containment efforts, outreach and education, enforcement, and fisheries monitoring.

DFG filed a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) today that includes an Initial Study and Project Description. The Plumas National Forest published a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a use permit in support of the DFG proposed project. The NOP, Initial Study, and Project Description, and a link to the Notice of Intent can be viewed at www.dfg.ca.gov/northernpike.

The proposal has several key differences from a 1997 eradication project at Lake Davis, Broddrick said, including: 1) a dramatically better working relationship between community members and DFG; 2) the volume of water that would be treated is much less than in 1997; and 3) a joint EIR/EIS will be prepared by DFG and the Plumas National Forest with the assistance of an independent environmental consultant.

To date, five alternatives have been identified. Three involve the use of rotenone, one involves complete dewatering (draining) of the reservoir and its tributaries, and the fifth option would be to continue the current control-and-contain activities that have been in place since 2000. A reasonable range of alternatives will be identified after DFG and the Plumas National Forest consider agency and public input that is received during the scoping process.

Two scoping sessions will he held Monday, Sept. 26 – from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Eastern Plumas Health Care Education Center, 500 First Ave., in Portola. Two sessions will be held on Wednesday Sept. 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel, 500 Leisure Lane, Sacramento. The scoping period is Sept. 14 to Oct. 31, 2005.

After the meetings, a draft EIR/EIS will be prepared and circulated sometime next year for public review and comment. In the event a project is approved in late 2006 or early 2007, possible treatment could occur in late summer or early fall 2007.