Rock Snot?

[skeeter]

Sam, departments dont want to admit it, but 90% of the nutrients coming into tablerock come down the james river from springfield, nixa and ozark. They blame the homes around the lake, these homes are a tiny portion of the problem compared to the discarge from the cities, but the cities get the slide because of the money involved. I was on one of the first stream teams in the area while in high school. The testing is a true eye opener. Why do you think the spoonbill run up the james and not up the kings or long creek (least few do).

Money always talks first and last.

My point exactly, aimed at the finger pointer who targeted lake homes as the culprits behind "rock snot". Thanks for posting the facts.

[Phil Lilley]

Went to the open house yesterday on Didymo at the hatchery. The one thing I came away with was seeing the samples of Didymo and the "look alike" in jars. They looked EXACTLY alike.

So when you think you see Didymo in Table Rock, may be it's the look alike and MDC is right when they say it is not in Table Rock, or Taneycomo. The best thing to do is take a sample and take it to MDC for them to test it.

[duckydoty]

Went to the open house yesterday on Didymo at the hatchery. The one thing I came away with was seeing the samples of Didymo and the "look alike" in jars. They looked EXACTLY alike.

So when you think you see Didymo in Table Rock, may be it's the look alike and MDC is right when they say it is not in Table Rock, or Taneycomo. The best thing to do is take a sample and take it to MDC for them to test it.

While I was at the meeting, I was talking to the biologist, Mark, and asked him if rock snot was anywhere in Missouri. He told me that it has not been found anywhere in Missouri, yet....

[Sam]

While I was at the meeting, I was talking to the biologist, Mark, and asked him if rock snot was anywhere in Missouri. He told me that it has not been found anywhere in Missouri, yet....

When my lure bumps bottom and comes up coated with a big gob of green stuff, I'm not sure I care what kind of goo it is. All that matters is that it messes up the lake and the fishing. "Other places have something even worse that we haven't found in Missouri yet" doesn't address our problem - it's typical bureaucratic quibbling.

Plants don't grow much without fertilizer, and I think loads of fertilizer in the forms of phosphorous soap and septic and sewer effluent are going down the James River.

I understated what I saw last week below Springfield dam by just calling it "soapsuds". I'm talking about rafts of soapsuds the width of houses and a foot tall, jammed against the banks as far as you can see down the river. Next time I go by there and the conditions are the same, I'll take a picture to post here.

[duckydoty]

When my lure bumps bottom and comes up coated with a big gob of green stuff, I'm not sure I care what kind of goo it is. All that matters is that it messes up the lake and the fishing. "Other places have something even worse that we haven't found in Missouri yet" doesn't address our problem - it's typical bureaucratic quibbling.

Plants don't grow much without fertilizer, and I think loads of fertilizer in the forms of phosphorous soap and septic and sewer effluent are going down the James River.

I understated what I saw last week below Springfield dam by just calling it "soapsuds". I'm talking about rafts of soapsuds the width of houses and a foot tall, jammed against the banks as far as you can see down the river. Next time I go by there and the conditions are the same, I'll take a picture to post here.

Well, its kinda difficult to address the problem of too much goo from fertilizer by banning felt soles to stop "rock snot"

[RSBreth]

Yeah - my idiot neighbor doesn't understand why I don't like the fact that he spends half of his life fertilizing his lawn, then mowing it. I 'm sure half of the problem in the Finley is just him.

[fozzype]

When my lure bumps bottom and comes up coated with a big gob of green stuff, I'm not sure I care what kind of goo it is. All that matters is that it messes up the lake and the fishing. "Other places have something even worse that we haven't found in Missouri yet" doesn't address our problem - it's typical bureaucratic quibbling.

Plants don't grow much without fertilizer, and I think loads of fertilizer in the forms of phosphorous soap and septic and sewer effluent are going down the James River.

I understated what I saw last week below Springfield dam by just calling it "soapsuds". I'm talking about rafts of soapsuds the width of houses and a foot tall, jammed against the banks as far as you can see down the river. Next time I go by there and the conditions are the same, I'll take a picture to post here.

Sam,

I do not work for any water quality agency, but I do have extensive training in the field.

The "foam" you are seeing in the water has nothing to do with soap or pollutants. It is a natural occuring phenomenon that occurs when water and air mix in turbulent action. The foam is helped to suspend by the disolved sediment that is found in murky water of Lake Springfield. The action of the water over the dam, warm water from the power plant, and high levels of sediment in the lake water create the perfect storm to creat "soap suds" These plumes have more to do with turbulent water and are no specific indicator of pollution. Some organizations claim sediment is pollution, but it is commonly found in high levels in many very "fishable" bodies of water.

Just as a note, I care about this lake and hate "rock snot". There are several factors that led to the "slime" we all dealt with last spring. It was a result of the previous years rainfall and atmospheric conditions of last winter. A one time instance of these conditions is not highly uncommon and is common in resivours accross north america with little or no pollution. The dissolved oxygen levels on the Rock last year were high and ultimately the "rock snot" probably helped the quality of baitfish in the fishery.

The slime we dealt with does need nutrients to thrive but is also has to have sunlight. A lake has to have nutrients that allow baitfish to feed and as a result have a better quality fishery. When you have clear water it allows more sunlight to penetrate and it is a more delicate balance between nutrients and sunlight. As a rule more sediment and nutrients creates a good fishery. However, when you have the perfect atomospheric conidtions and clear water it can be dangerous to oxygen levels in the lake (fish kill).

The pollution levels in the James river have been dramtically reduced compared to even 5 years ago. Also, the levels of phosphorus from treatment plants is next to nothing. The citys and counties that feed the james river have spent millions to correct their treatment facilities. It is impossible to have 100% ability to control the water quality in a watershed. The non-point sources (fields, uncontrolled runoff, etc) will continue to be reduced and the water quality will contiunue to improve. Even with additional controls mother nature can still suprise us.

If we all work together to keep people informed of the effects of uncontrolled chemicals, we will get our best results. However, I do not feel radical decisions and regulations are the best answer.

[dtrs5kprs]

When my lure bumps bottom and comes up coated with a big gob of green stuff, I'm not sure I care what kind of goo it is. All that matters is that it messes up the lake and the fishing. "Other places have something even worse that we haven't found in Missouri yet" doesn't address our problem - it's typical bureaucratic quibbling.

Agreed on not caring what particular manner of goop it is, because goop it is. Officially sanctioned "rock snot" or "hillbilly Missouri wanna-be non-officially sanctioned rock snot" will kill that finesse rig bite equally dead.

[Champ188]

All great info, fozzype. Thanks for providing some depth on the issue. Bottom line: Can't grow fish in sterile water. No nutrients = no food chain. Thanks again.

[laker67]

The foam, that fozzype was referring to, was occuring on LOZ sunday. With a strong north wind, it was piling up on the southern shorelines. I see it occassionly, when generation starts on the norfork. It will stack up around Cook Island until the higher water pushes it out.