Lakeside mayors entangled with invasive weed issue

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula

The leadership of several lakeside communities are in the process of drafting proposals to take advantage of the Lower Colorado River Authority's $50,000 matching-grant offer to help battle invasive water weeds.

Multiple cities are working in advance of a Jan. 15 submission deadline, seeking help from the LCRA to control Milfoil and other lake weeds once the early summer months arrive.

A “problem”?

The extent of the “problem” posed by invasive water weeds is a matter of perspective, depending upon who's talking.

There’s no question that water weeds present access problems for boats, and can tear up a boat motor irreparably, said Marble Falls Mayor George Russell, who added he also gets complaints from residents about not being able to swim in the lake.

However, for a healthy fish population, 20-40 percent of a lake’s area can contain water weeds like milfoil, hydrilla, and water hyacinth, said Marcos De Jesus, inland fisheries division district supervisor.

A 2013 TPWD survey showed 12 percent coverage, and a September survey showed coverage of a little over 11 percent, almost 10 percent of which was milfoil.

Ducks and other species use water weeds as habitat, he said. Several mayors mentioned the coots that thrive in the habitat.

“If you consider things from a historical perspective, there’s an ebb and flow of milfoil: it can do well one year and not the next,” said Earl Chilton, Ph.D., TPWD exotic vegetation program manager, adding that the drought has worsened the situation because of lack of water flow.

A huge rain would change the scenario dramatically.

After a few big rains, “we might be able to get back in the normal boom-bust cycle, because milfoil historically has not been a problem in this lake,” De Jesus said.

For long-term solutions, it all depends on the weather.

LCRA role

LCRA officials were persuaded to divert money from other municipal grants into its $50,000 matching-grant offer because of the “extraordinary nature of multiple requests from all the lakeside communities,” said John Hofmann, executive vice president of water, Dec. 4.

$50,000 is not a random number. “It’s what we had,” Hofmann said.

The LCRA offer is not the beginning of an increased LCRA role in treating water weeds, but instead is probably a one-off opportunity.

“It’s doubtful” that LCRA will ever make such an offer again, he said. 

For the full story, see Tuesday's Highlander.