A new invasive species has officials sounding the alarm in Trumbull County
The Trumbull County Tourism Bureau says over one million people visit the lake yearly, with an economic impact of over $33 million.
However, the economic impact and the lake could be in jeopardy thanks to a newly discovered invasive species.
Mosquito Lake is quiet and calm now, but in a few short months, the ice will melt, and an invasive species will be ready to retake its grip on the lake. It sounds like the plot of a horror movie, but for those who utilize or live around Mosquito Lake, Hydrilla has become a top concern.
"We're in danger now of killing our lake; if we don't take care of it now, then we are going to pay a massive bill down the road to even try to attempt to take care of it," says Trumbull County Commissioner Dennis Malloy.
The invasive aquatic species was initially introduced in the United States in Florida during the late 1950s. Still, it wasn't until 2021 that it first caught the attention of officials from around the county. Hydrilla might look like seaweed, but it is much different. It reduces the water flow in waterways it infests, adversely affects fish populations, and impacts those who use the lake for boating or fishing.
"The effects that we are starting to see now are we are having people not wanting to put their boats in the water, people don't want to come out here and fish, there's a lot of tourism because of this," says Malloy.
Come springtime, hydrilla will bloom, and it will bloom quickly. It is expected to grow an additional 100 acres from last year's numbers. Officials will be fighting and combating the spread this spring and summer, but they tell me that those who ski or boat on Mosquito Lake can also help fight the spread.
"When they utilize the water here, they need to wash and dry, whether it be their swimsuits or their watercraft before they take it to another body of water. All it takes is one inch to start to invade another body of water" says Deidre Petrosky, Mayor of the City of Cortland.
The Trumbull County Commissioners are partnering with the cities of Cortland and Warren and several environmental agencies to provide stop-gap funding over the next 7 to 10 years to curtail the spread. Three hundred thirty thousand dollars will be put towards three treatments using a chemical known as fluridone, which will bleach and slowly eradicate hydrilla in the lake.
Trumbull County Commissioner Dennis Malloy says that this year, they'll be treating 300 acres to stop the spreading of hydrilla before it takes over the lake or, worse, spreads to larger bodies of water like Lake Erie.