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McCall council hears Watershed Advisory Group on Big Payette Lake milfoil, ISDA to work on integrated plan
Summary
The City Council received a presentation from the Big Payette Lake Watershed Advisory Group on Eurasian watermilfoil and broader nearshore water-quality concerns; the Idaho State Department of Agriculture agreed to work with stakeholders beginning in October to develop an integrated management plan.
The McCall City Council on (date not specified) heard an update from the Big Payette Lake Watershed Advisory Group about Eurasian watermilfoil infestations and related lake water‑quality issues. The advisory group said the Idaho State Department of Agriculture declined to run a 2025 test plot after receiving community opposition but agreed to collaborate with local stakeholders this fall to develop an integrated plan for control.
David Simmons, a WAG appointee and longtime lake advocate, told the council the lake is “a legacy issue” that requires long-term stewardship, saying, “The lake has been here at least 20,000. … What happens to it from here on out is on us.” He urged the council to ensure solutions address root causes of degradation, not only weed removal.
Deb Faraday, chair of the Watershed Advisory Group, briefed the council on the WAG’s recent meetings with ISDA and other stakeholders. Faraday said ISDA staff and its director attended WAG discussions; she told the council that ISDA “does want an endorsement to use herbicide in Payette Lake, or they will not treat Eurasian milfoil on the lake,” and that herbicide treatment is more cost‑effective than manual removal, though it is controversial where there is public water‑supply interface.
Faraday reviewed other control options discussed by the WAG and agency staff: diver‑assisted suction harvesting (the state DASH program), hand pulling, bottom barriers near docks where herbicides cannot be applied, and that mechanical harvesters are likely unsuitable for the lake. She said DASH work was supported by the group and that ISDA suggested beginning coordinated planning in October and during the winter months to develop what WAG hopes will be a five‑year integrated plan.
City Manager Forrest Atkinson and others who spoke during council comment emphasized that ISDA’s remit is limited to treatment options and that local authorities, the county and the city, will need to lead on drivers such as shoreland modification, fertilizer runoff and enforcement of wake zones. Atkinson noted DEQ (Idaho Department of Environmental Quality) is conducting nearshore water sampling.
WAG and meeting participants described several practical points under consideration: ISDA offered to purchase equipment for a local boat‑cleaning station but cannot supply personnel; DASH costs were referenced at roughly $200 per hour for manual diver work; bottom barrier mats may be deployed for up to about 10 days in a spot and then moved; and the WAG has not taken a final position on herbicide use.
Council and WAG members discussed public engagement and the need for clear, early outreach so that ISDA and other agencies do not encounter uncoordinated public opposition. Faraday asked the council how to request budget support from the city for nearshore testing; the mayor said the WAG should submit a written request to be considered during the city budgeting process.
The council did not take a formal vote on treatment policy at the meeting. Next steps reported to the council: ISDA and WAG will begin coordinated planning in October and into winter, DEQ nearshore sampling will continue, and the WAG will meet again on the fourth (or fifth) Tuesday of the month as scheduled.
