Fish, wildlife are a concern in mosquito spraying

(Last in a series)

It's called the "June Rise" by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

The melted snow from the Rocky Mountains travels down rivers, through Montana into North Dakota via the Yellowstone River, which is joined with the Missouri River. This phenomenon causes the Missouri River to rise by several feet, depending on how much snow there is, and often the river overflows its banks because it can't hold all that water.

Thus there's standing water on both sides of the river, which becomes an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, said Kent Luttschwager, wildlife resource management supervisor at the Williston NDGF office. This means there's potentially thousands of acres of mosquito habitat, he said.

Williston's position north of the Missouri River and east of Lake Sakakwea allows it to be bombarded by mosquitoes.

The Game and Fish Department has been working with Williston Vector Control District 1 Director Fran Bosch and the U.S. Air Force, which may be flying over with pesticides. The Air Force is waiting upon an environmental assessment to be completed before it knows for sure if it is going to fly over the area.

"We would just as soon see every mosquito is killed. However, we have the responsibility to make sure that the fish and wildlife resources are considered," Luttschwager said.

The Army Corps of Engineers owns the Lewis and Clark Wildlife Management Area, and leases it to Game and Fish so it can manage it, Luttschwager said.

Concerns of Game and Fish include how the treatment is to be applied and how often and what type of treatment is to be used.

"Air Force has the capabilities to drop a biological control agent (larvacide) to reduce the emergence of mosquitoes," Luttschwager said.

He's concerned about the use of adulticide over the river bottoms. Pheasant and grouse eat insects during the first six weeks of their life, as well as song birds, ducks and some species of fish.

Adulticide would kill what this wildlife eats because it isn't specific to mosquitoes. Larvacide is more specific in the insects it affects, he said.

Luttschwager doesn't need to be concerned about adulticide because it's illegal to be used over water according to federal law, said Jeff Keller, natural resource manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Williston.

It also wouldn't make sense to use adulticide as it's more of a "Band-aid" than larvacide, Keller said.

"You want to kill the mosquitoes before they hatch," he said, adding that's the purpose of larvacide.

"We're hopeful to try some different types of products. It's extremely difficult to rid every nook and cranny of mosquitoes once they hatch," Keller said.

Historically, Williston has always been bothered by mosquitoes, and no matter what's done by the vector control district, that won't change.

"If you're going to live in Williston, you're going to have mosquito problems," Luttschwager said.

As a Williston resident, Luttschwager said he strongly favored the ballot measure that passed to increase the mosquito control surcharge. He understands the vector control district's budget was tight and outdated. He also understands the desire to make Williston more comfortable during the summer.

"I want to enjoy Williston as much as anybody," he said, as he wants to grill outside and play catch with his son without being pestered by mosquitoes.

"I know the vector control district has a large and difficult task. As long as wildlife and fisheries resources is considered, we're more than willing to work with the vector board. It'd be irresponsible for us not to," he said.

"We'll try to minimize impacts on everything else while declaring war on mosquitoes," said Fred Ryckman, Game and Fish northwest district fisheries supervisor.

The Army Corps of Engineers doesn't have any concerns about the increased mosquito control, Keller said.

"From our perspective, no, we do not see any issues. We worked very well together, we've had a good contract, had a good mutual agreement," he said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service doesn't have any concerns, yet. It's waiting to see the environmental assessment, said Kevin Johnson, environmental contaminant specialist at the Bismarck office.

Fish and Wildlife has authority over threatened and endangered species, migratory birds and national wildlife refuges.

"Our main issue is going to be with the threatened and endangered species, which are the pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River, the least tern and piping plovers, the two birds that nest along the Missouri River and along the Yellowstone River," Johnson said.