WCHS Eyewitness News Home Charleston Eyewitness Newsroom Charleston Storm Team Weather Sports News TV Shows TV Program Schedule Community Mobile-Cellphone and PDA Get Connected SMS Text Facebook Twitter iWitness Photos RSS News Feed


West Virginia Wildlife
Didymo
Patrick McMurtry Anglers alert! Protect West Virginia's trout streams from Didymo!

May 20, 2009
Reporter: Patrick McMurtry
Videographer: Brad Rice


EYEWITNESS ONLINE WEBCAST VIDEO
C L I C K   T O   P L A Y


"Didymo is either light in color, tan, brown, it is never green."

And it's never good, either. This stuff is flat nasty and it's infecting some of the best trout streams in the state including glady creek, gandy creek and the Elk River around Webster Springs.

Mike Shingleton/DNR says:
"We just found it in some of our streams last year about this time. It's been moving from surrounding states over the last several years. Here in Seneca Creek, it was the first time we've found it here in 2009."

The problem is cross contimination from other creeks. All this single cell organism needs is a microscopic piece on your waders or pole and it has a place to ride into the next stream you fish. Once in the stream, it's impossible to kill, so Shingleton says keeping your gear clean is critical.

Mike Shingleton/DNR says:
"Use a salt solution, five percent salt solution, five percent dishwater solution, use a fifty fifty 409 solution or a two percent bleach solution."

Make sure you spray everything that could have possibly come in contact with the stream you just left before you fish the next one.
Shingleton says you don't want to let this nasty pest start taking root in your favorite stream.

Mike Shingleton/DNR says:
"If the mats develop enough, it gets thick enough covering up the bottom of the creek, it could eventually affect the aquatic insects, it misght displace stone flies, mayflies for less desireable aquatic insects."

And once that happens, you'll probably see the fish in the streams be affected as well. Didymo is a big problem, one that we'll have to deal with, but with a little help from you every time you fish, this pest might not be something you see in every stream. For West Virginia Wildlife, I'm Patrick McMurtry, Eyewitness News.




LEARN MORE at the W. Va. DNR


MORE WILDLIFE NEWS

WCHS-TV8 Online brings you the current Fishing and Stream Conditions Report updated every week.

No video? Get Flash Player from Adobe. (It's Free!)

RECENT WILDLIFE STORIES

W.Va. Wildlife from Eyewitness News January 25, 2012
Cooking Game
Get Your Burgoo On! Video

W.Va. Wildlife from Eyewitness News January 18, 2012
Hunting And Fishing Show
26 Years And Going Strong Video

W.Va. Wildlife from Eyewitness News January 11, 2012
Trout Fishing
It May Be Cold But The Fishing Is Heating Up Video

W.Va. Wildlife from Eyewitness News January 4, 2012
Winter Hunting
Don't Put Your Gun Away Just Yet Video

W.Va. Wildlife from Eyewitness News December 28, 2011
WV Wildlife 2011
A Look Back At The Wild Side Video

GET MORE STORIES IN THE
W.Va. WILDLIFE ARCHIVE





GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA'S WILDLIFE
Visit WV DNR




Fugitive Files Tuesdays at 6 PM on Eyewitness News

West Virginia Wildlife Wednesdays at 6 PM on Eyewitness News

Newscast Scripts

ABC News web site



How To Contact WCHS-TV8 | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | DMCA Policy | Frequently Asked Questions

Home | Eyewitness News Newsroom | Storm Team Weather | Eyewitness Sports | Schedules | Programs

Send Mail Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.

Copyright ©2012, WCHS-TV8. Portions are
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.