Supporting our Lake

Weed Control Chemical

Note:  To be included on the 2018 McCook Lake Permit list for the weed control chemical, please submit the form at the right before April 15, 2018 or contact board member Jon Sandage at  712-490-2875.

The primary purpose for the chemical is to kill the brittle naiad which doesn’t start growing until mid to late June. Although we do have a lot of weeds right now, if the chemical is used before the brittle naiad starts growing, the chemical will not kill the naiad. In order to have a clear shoreline all summer, it would be best to rake the current weeds out and then apply the chemical around the 3rd week in June. This will likely take care of all of the weeds that will show up this summer.

The reason for suggesting raking the current weeds out is because the chemical will not be effective on mature weeds that are in abundance. The chemical is most effective when the weeds are just a few inches high at the start of the growing cycle. There is a fine line as to when to use the chemical. The weeds need to be present so that the chemical can be absorbed into the roots, but if the weeds are too thick and mature the chemical amounts we have will not be enough to be fully effective.

The chemical we have is designed to take care of 2500 square feet at an average depth of 4’. If you are treating weeds in deeper water, you will need to use heavier concentrations of chemical. Go light in shallow water and heavy in deeper water.