For years, Florida anglers have protested Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) use of chemical herbicides to control nonnative aquatic plants in Florida’s lakes and waterways.

FWC does not post spraying plans online in advance. The FWC website states: “Due to safety concerns regarding FWC staff and contractors, public posting of the schedule of operations is paused until further notice.”

The most recent data available on the FWC website is for Fiscal Year 2023/2024.

According to the FWC Annual Report of Activities Conducted under the Cooperative Aquatic Plant Control Program in Florida Public Waters for Fiscal Year 2023/2024, herbicide use on Lake Okeechobee included:

• Cyperus blepharoleptos : AA: 197.5 acres $46,889.14;
• Floating Plants: AA:  2,114.75 acres:  $447,032.60;
• Ludwigia grandiflora|hexapetala: AA; 2.5 acres $750.17;
• Luziola subintegra: AA: 28 acres: $11,397.52;
• Scleria lacustris: 49.5 acres: $7,809.61;
• Tussocks: AA: 61.5 acres: $10,760.87;
• Cyperus blepharoleptos: AVC: 24 acres: $11,126.75;
• Floating Plants: AVC: 2,350 acres: $480,943.6;
• Ludwigia grandiflora|hexapetala; AVC: 89.5 acres: $22,412.15;
• Luziola subintegra: AVC: 5.5 acres: $3,355.73;
• Scleria lacustris: AVC: Inspection/survey; $17,662.50;
• Floating Plants: CAS: 391 acres: $26,320.35;
• Scleria lacustris: CAS: 677.5 acres: $61,703.38;
• Tussocks acres: CLR: 25.52 acres: $25,802.5.

Contractors included:

• AA – Applied Aquatic Management Inc.;
• AVC – Aquatic Vegetation Control Inc.;
• CAS – Coastal Air Services;
• CLR – CLR Aquatic Weed Control Inc.