Spraying of lake plant delayed

By Daniel Clifton • Daily Tribune Staff

HIGHLAND LAKES - Plans to spray patches of water hyacinth with a herbicide on Lake LBJ today have been postponed because of the weather, officials said.

The Lower Colorado River Authority Wednesday also announced the lake would be lowered in January to help residents continue cleaning up after the June flood.

Meanwhile, the possibility of too much wind has curtailed plans by LCRA and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to begin eradicating the invasive water hyacinth, at least for now.

“Basically, it’s going to be too windy,” LCRA spokeswoman Krista Umscheid said. “They spray the herbicide onto the plants, so you don’t want excessive wind. It could make the spraying ineffective.”

Umscheid said the two departments have tentatively rescheduled the spraying during the middle of next week.

TPWD officials said they take periodic aquatic vegetation surveys of area lakes. A recent survey determined there were at least three acres of water hyacinth on Lake LBJ. In previous years the LCRA and TPWD have applied herbicide in a single Lake LBJ cove near Kingsland, where some water hyacinth had become a problem.

The invasive species has since moved into several coves in the Granite Shoals area.

Water hyacinth was introduced to the United States from South America in the late 1800s for ornamental purposes. The floating plant has a purple flower.

But the plant quickly grew accustomed to the warm waters of the southern United States and spread.

TPWD officials said the problem with the plant is that as a floating species, it blocks the sunlight from reaching deeper into the water. A few plants might not be an issue, but officials said a larger mat of them could become troublesome because a lack of sunlight would prevent underwater plants from conducting photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is the process where plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Officials said water hyacinth in large amounts also present a safety problem because they can clog up boat motors and prevent access to the water.

Also, the LCRA Board of Directors has approved lowering Lake LBJ by 5 feet starting Jan. 2, 2008. It would remain lowered for approximately eight weeks.

“The purpose of this is to aid the community in cleaning up some of the debris and damage caused by the 500-year flood,” said LCRA public affairs representative Catherine Adair.

Adair referred to the flood that hit the Highland Lakes in June. Several property owners along Lake LBJ have requested assistance from the LCRA and other agencies in cleaning up the debris caused by the flood in several of the coves and inlets.

Adair said the LCRA board has a policy to lower lakes Marble Falls, LBJ and Inks every four years to allow property owners to repair docks and clean up around the shore.

The LCRA last lowered Lake LBJ in 2005.

“This is bit of an exception, but we did it because of the flooding this year and it’s something the residents asked for,” Adair said.

LCRA officials said the drawdown schedule could change or be canceled due to weather conditions or power emergencies that would require the authority to release water from upstream during this period.

daniel@thepicayune.com

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Spraying of lake plant delayed