The Dock Line
Lake Conroe, Texas (936) 890-7234
By Blake Kellum,
Lake Conroe Division Manager What a year! Since this time last year, we have experienced many highs and lows at Lake Conroe. Last March the hydrilla infestation was around 1,200 acres and impacted some of the most highly-developed waterfronts on the lake. Despite the efforts of Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), the Lake Conroe Association (LCA), and the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) to control and reduce the heinous weed, and a false indication of success in early summer, the monster continued to thrive and expand to just under 2,000 acres by November. Definitely a LOW point around here!
But, after an intensified effort to bolster the number of hydrilla-eating grass carp, and continued herbicide applications, the early spring numbers look very encouraging (less than 350 acres), and the hydrilla infestation does finally appear to be on its way out. HIGH point indeed so far!
Cautiously, because of last summer’s false indications, we are awaiting confirmation of a continued trend with the next set of survey results due sometime in early June. Those results will hopefully substantiate our collective euphoria concerning Lake Conroe’s hydrilla problems.
Even with this great news, and it is certainly great news to us, we know we must continue to be diligent in our continued Aquatic Plant Management (APM) efforts. There are several other species of invasive exotic plants in the lake, and those must be addressed with as much or even more vigor than the recent hydrilla efforts.
Giant Salvinia is an extremely invasive floating plant that was first found on the lake in 2000. Despite early successes and even claims of eradication, the plant re-infested the lake and currently occupies several hundred acres of territory, primarily in the area of the Sam Houston National Forest north of the FM 1097 bridge. The SJRA and TPWD are continuing to address giant salvinia with herbicide applications and biological controls. There are some preliminary indications that the grass carp may be feeding on the salvinia as well. Wouldn’t it be great if the carp would develop a taste for salvinia instead of the good native plant species in the lake?
Water Hyacinth is the other floating plant species that we are currently combating. You may have noticed the lovely devils and their pretty purple flowers floating in and around your shorelines. They tend to pack together on the windward shorelines, sometimes causing access issues to those unfortunate enough to be in coves and pockets that entrap the plants.
Fortunately, all it takes is a change in wind direction and they become someone else’s problem…at least temporarily. The management technique for water hyacinth is much the same as for giant salvinia – direct herbicide applications and insect bio-control. Unlike giant salvinia, which can reproduce by fragmentation, water hyacinth can sometimes also be controlled by shredding with barge mounted equipment. However, this technique is not recommended in populated areas because of the noxious odor given of by the decaying plant mass.
Although hydrilla appears to be in extreme decline, these other species are and will continue to be an ongoing threat to the lake. The LCA has done a fantastic job of supporting and participating in solving these problem infestations through both fundraising and educational campaigns. The hard costs of getting hydrilla under control have been shared equally between the SJRA and LCA with Montgomery County contributing more than $150,000 since last year as well.
In addition to providing assistance with herbicide applications and completing the required plant surveys on the lake, TPWD has also helped us by recently securing grant funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to the tune of $150,000. Additionally, the USDA Forest Service has contributed over $25,000 in the last year, and the Seven Coves Bass Club (SCBC) has contributed financially and by providing volunteer labor to construct rearing facilities and implement a native plant re-establishment program to help mitigate any damage to native species caused by the grass carp.
It is imperative to our ongoing success as a community that these resources continue to help provide the necessary funding and support to control invasive species. Te LCA has recently begun its annual fundraising drive, and we respectfully encourage everyone that uses the lake to participate. Now is not the time to become complacent and assume that the problem has been solved.
Without continued funding of these maintenance programs, it would take very little time for the lake to be right back in the same boat (pun intended) that it was in when this saga began. Diligence is the key to keeping harmful plant species in check while promoting a healthy environment for all involved.
Your participation is greatly appreciated, and in the meantime . . . we’ll see you on the water.
Email: ozzy@docklinemagazine.com or susan@docklinemagazine.com
The Dock Line - PO Box 1203 Willis, Texas 77378