Comparing Watts Bar with Lakes in Nearby States Operating with Plant Management Plans
Comparing Watts Bar with Lakes in Nearby States Operating with Plant Management Plans
Comparing Watts Bar with other lakes and reservoirs listed above:
| Size in Acres | Lake | Affected by Invasive Plants (%) | Links to View Invasive Plant Management Plan |
| 171,000 | Santee Cooper (Marion, Moultrie), SC | 20% | South Carolina management plan governing invasive aquatic plants of all the state’s waterways: http://dnr.sc.gov/invasiveweeds/draftplan.html#http://www.dnr.sc.gov/invasiveweeds/draftplan.html SC reports that Santee Cooper lake’s infestation of invasive aquatic weeds, including hydrilla, watermilfoil, and naiad, impairs boating, swimming, public access, potential electric power generation, and potential irrigation water withdrawals. |
| 68,000 | Guntersville, AL | 25% | TVA: https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Environmental-Stewardship/Anglers-Aquatic-Plant-ID/How-TVA-Manages-Aquatic-Plants; https://www.tva.gov/file_source/TVA/Site%20Content/Environment/Environmental%20Stewardship/Aquatic%20Weeds/Guntersville[3].pdf Stakeholder: http://lakeguntersvillestakeholders.org/index.php/plan |
| 60,000 (total in 17 lakes) | George Power Company lakes | (varies) | http://georgiapowerlakes.com/northgeorgialakes/aquatic-vegetation-management/ (plans are similar throughout the system) |
| 46,000 | Eufaula, GA / AL | ?? | http://sam.usace.army.mil/Portals/46/docs/recreation/WFG/docs/2016%20Aquatic%20Plant%20Management%20Plan.pdf (managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which released grass eating carp into the lake on two occasions) |
| 39,000 | Watts Bar Lake, TN | Survey Planed | https://www.tva.gov/file_source/TVA/Site%20Content/Environment/Environmental%20Stewardship/Aquatic%20Weeds/Watts%20Bar[3].pdf |
| 20,000 | Gaston, NC | 25% | http://lakegastonassoc.com/Environment/Weeds/WeedPlan.htm |
| 4,600 | Claytor, VA | 10% | http://focl.org/programs/hydrilla-management-plan/ |
- Lakes above have either a governing body that is taking a lead on the control of invasive species or a stakeholder group that is coordinating a comprehensive plan. The Watts Bar Ecology and Fishery Council (WBEFC) has been established and is working toward developing a comprehensive plan.
- Integrated management plans above tend to have two or more components: herbicide management, harvesting (cutting/removing), native plantings and habitat modification (i.e., use native plantings near shoreline and reduce the use of fertilizer near lakeshore) to encourage native aquatic plants, release of sterile grass carp (to reduce hydrilla). Watts Bar has one component at this time, herbicide control.
- Like lakes in severely affected areas in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina, Watts Bar has been recently identified as having three invasive species (including two invasive species that weren’t here before—hydrilla and naiad) which severely impairs all recreation in addition to having a major negative effect on the ecology and fishery of the lake.