Aquatic weeds causing problems

The hot, dry weather that has wilted farm crops and lawns throughout north Alabama is causing other vegetation to proliferate.

As farmers lament the lackluster growth of their crops and pastures, many users of area lakes are equally concerned about the rapid growth of aquatic weeds this summer.

"It's a mess. It's causing a lot of problems," Mike Evans said as he looked over a weed-filled slough on Pickwick Lake at Brush Creek Park near Waterloo.

"You can't swim where the weeds are and it's hard to fish around them. Plus, they stink. I called TVA and asked if they were going to spray or try to do anything about the weeds, but they said no. They told me it would be too expensive to try and do anything about them."

Evans was camping at the park. "There's not as many people camping here since the weeds got so bad. I don't see as many people fishing on the lake as I used to."

Tennessee Valley Authority spokesman Gil Francis said a drought that has plagued the Tennessee Valley for more than a year has reduced the amount of water flowing down the Tennessee River. The restricted flow has allowed water in the river to become clearer than normal, which creates prime conditions for aquatic vegetation to grow. Francis said the clear water allows sunlight to penetrate more deeply and spark rapid growth of aquatic plants.

David Webb, a TVA biologist based in Muscle Shoals, said aquatic vegetation in the Tennessee River has historically proliferated when water flows were slow and ebbed when the flow returned to normal,

"We had some drought years in the 1980s when there were lots of aquatic plants in Pickwick (Lake). In the early '90s, we had big flows and the plants declined on the reservoir," Webb said. "In the 1960s, we had several low flow years and had a big spike in plant growth on Pickwick. Whenever you have droughts, aquatic plant growth increases."

Aquatic weeds reached problematic levels in much of Pickwick Lake in 2006. With continued dry weather this year, the aquatic plants have choked some shallow sloughs on the lake. Massive weed beds have also appeared on Wilson and Wheeler lakes.

The weeds include southern naiad, a species native to the Tennessee River, and nonnative species such as spiny leaf naiad and Eurasian milfoil.

Webb said there is nothing TVA can do to try and check the growth of the plants, other than to hope it begins raining to boost the flow of water through the Tennessee River.

He said it would be impossible to eradicate the weeds. In addition, he said TVA would face strong opposition from lake users if it attempted large scale aquatic weed removal from its reservoirs.

Francis said many anglers like having some aquatic weeds in a lake, because it provides habitat for fish.

Professional bass angler Tim Horton, of Muscle Shoals, is among those who welcome the recent surge in aquatic weed growth on area lakes.

"If they will leave the grass alone, it will be one of the best things that ever happened to these lakes," Horton said. "The grass will make Pickwick another Guntersville Lake. Guntersville is the best lake in the Southeast."

Brad Whitehead, an avid angler and crappie fishing guide from Muscle Shoals, has mixed emotions about the aquatic weeds.

"I guess in the long run, the weeds are going to be good for fishing. But I'm going to have to change the way I fish," Whitehead said. "The weeds have gotten so bad on Second Creek in Waterloo that I can no longer troll crankbaits without getting hung up. I'm going to have to start vertical jigging or casing jigs when I fish there."

Horton said crappie, largemouth bass and bream fishing tends to improve in lakes that have large beds of aquatic weeds. He said weeds provide juvenile game fish and bait fish a place to hide from predators. Game fish cruise the weed beds looking for smaller fish to eat.

"If TVA will leave the grass alone on Pickwick and Wilson lakes, they will become destination lakes for anglers all from over the country," Horton said.

Other Shoals residents do not share Horton's fondness for aquatic weeds.

Curtis Lindsey, who lives in the Pebble Beach community on Wilson Lake, said mats of aquatic weeds floating around the reservoir are unsightly and are a hazard to boaters and swimmers.

Another Pebble Beach resident, Jim Corbin, fears if the weeds are allowed to continue proliferating on Wilson Lake, it will stymie residential development of its shoreline. He said many potential residents will be turned off by seeing massive beds of aquatic weeds growing in the lake.

Corbin is urging his neighbors and other lake users to write state and federal lawmakers, asking for their help in curbing the growth of aquatic weeds in Wilson Lake.

Webb said TVA is not alone in seeing a spike in aquatic weeds this summer. He said other utilities and agencies that operate reservoirs in the Southeast are experiencing similar problems.

Michael Sznajderman, a spokesman for Birmingham-based Alabama Power, said the war against acquatic weeds is an ongoing battle for the utility.

He said Alabama Power has crews that work to prevent aquatic weeds from interfering with recreational activities or company operations on its lakes were the watery vegetation has reached problematic levels.

Alabama Power crews spray herbicides around private boat docks and piers where aquatic weeds are causing problems. Sznajderman said the spraying is typically limited to the area immediately around the private dock or pier.

He said aquatic weeds on Alabama Power reservoirs are most problematic at Lay Lake south of Birmingham and Lake Jordan near Wetumpka.

While TVA does not have a program for controlling aquatic plants around private docks and piers, it does provide lake users with advice for attacking weeds around their property.

Webb said shoreline residents of TVA lakes in Alabama may obtain from the state Department of Agriculture and Industries a list of contractors that offer aquatic weed control.

He said anyone who attempts aquatic weed removal around their pier or boat dock must use a licensed contractor experienced in aquatic plant control. While there are herbicides designed for aquatic weed control, it is illegal for someone without the proper training to use them.

If aquatic weeds block public boat ramps on area lakes, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources can intervene and assist TVA in controlling them, said Keith Floyd, a supervising fisheries biologist for the department's Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

Floyd said he has received several complaints from Shoals residents about the aquatic weeds on area lakes, but there is nothing the state can do unless the weed beds block a public boat ramp.

He, too, said it would be impossible to try and eradicate the weeds from area lakes

"There's not much you can do except hope for a lot more rain."

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.