Ok, so what is the deal on Palestine, was it found in the boat slip area? Is it closed to see if it will bloom again or what? What is the big green stuff you can see from Hwy 31 in Kickapoo Creek?

lol...if it weren't for the boat to the right, or the ladder on the dock, I'd say someone had a really neatly manicured lakefront lot. Wow, that is scary.

I might need to find a new hobby.

why havent they done more to contain this? It would cost the towns around cedar creek millions. Lake fork will get ruined.
I would close down to one boat ramp on the whole lake and hire someone to inspect everything that goes on the water.Sorry for the inconvenience but I would do whatever it took to keep it out. Its obvious that no one is giving a damn about transporting it.
I feel for the land owners on a lake that gets covered up with this stuff and can't sell his house. We can just fish somewhere else.

Something needs to be done. How long before someone decides to fill up 10 or 20 five gallon buckets with this stuff and then dump each one into a different lake? Forget exploding dirty bombs, this would do much more damage.

Dallas Morning News Outdoor Briefs, by Ray Sasser artical on meeting at Mack's Discount Tackle this coming Saturday.

Clicky


TFP

All you'd have to is make boats monogamous; that is, limit their use to only one lake--ever.

make the boat dealers alot of money

It wouldn't surprise me some day to see see boats limited to only one lake. Maybe it will become illegal to transport boats between lakes unless they've been "certified" to be clean. Hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me.

mayby theres a Organic herbicide or something to control it

Closing Brandy Branch Ramp. 2/26/08 to ?????
The ramp to be closed for clean up, due to Giant Salvinia getting into the lake this past week end.

TBF. State Conservation Director

Dennis North

For information:
Call TP&W Marshall TX. Office.
Timothy J. Bister
Fisheries Biologist
903 938-1007

Dennis,

Thanks for the report!

I'm thinking that one of the things that boat companies are going to start having to consider in trailer design is to develop a trailer that is easy to clean, and makes cleaning the boat easy as well.

I just tried calling Tim Bister, but they must be out dealing with this situation as nobody was home.

Please keep us posted on this development!

__________________________________________________

Ok, with the Brandy Branch 'outbreak' this thing is really getting serious.

Who would be inerested in a meeting, and seminar on invasive species at Double Dave, or someplace else on say a Monday Night at say 7 pm?

I've got a soild contact with Richard Ott at TP&W, and I'll be happy to set things up if there's anyone that's intrested.

TFP

Maybe when silver and bighead carp arrive in Texas, we can teach them to eat the giant salvinia.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 27, 2008
Media Contact: Tim Bister, (903) 938-1007

Giant Salvinia and Water Hyacinth Found in Brandy Branch Reservoir
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Working to Contain Spread; Boat Ramp Closed
LONGVIEW—An alert Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries technician was in the right place at the right time on Brandy Branch Reservoir on Sunday, February 24.
Kenneth Kay was conducting a creel survey at the lake’s only boat ramp when he observed massive amounts of plants floating on the water immediately after an angler launched his boat. Kay identified two prohibited non-native plants, water hyacinth and giant salvinia.
Kay immediately gathered as many plants as he could and notified the TPWD Inland Fisheries biologist in charge of the lake, Tim Bister, and Harrison County game wardens.
TPWD personnel removed approximately 100 pounds of invasive plants. The game wardens issued the angler a citation. The angler stated that he had been fishing at Caddo Lake the previous day and named the ramp he used. That ramp is posted with a sign warning anglers of the presence of giant salvinia and stating that it is against the law to transport the plant.
On Tuesday TPWD installed a floating boom to confine any remaining plants to the boat ramp area and continued removing plant material by hand. The Southwest Electric Power Co., operator of the lake, closed the ramp to all boats. It will remain closed until further notice. TPWD will inspect the area daily until no further giant salvinia is found.
“We will be patrolling the area to be sure nobody tampers with the boom or the barricades,” said TPWD Game Warden Captain Larry Hand of Tyler. “All the game wardens in the East Texas area have been alerted to be on the lookout for the invasive plants. We will also keep other local law enforcement agencies informed. This is a multi-divisional, multi-agency effort.”
Brandy Branch is a 1,242-acre power plant cooling lake about 10 miles east of Longview off F.M. 3251.
Giant salvinia has now been found in Lakes Caddo, Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn and Palestine. “We ask that people look for the plant and call us if they see it,” said TPWD biologist Rick Ott. “Boaters should remove all plant material from their boats and trailers before leaving the ramp every time they go to the lake. Place any plants in trash cans or dumpsters so they cannot be washed back into the lake.”
Possession or transport of giant salvinia or other prohibited aquatic vegetation in Texas is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $25 to $500 per plant. Anyone seeing a possible violation may report it by calling (800) 792-GAME.
Giant salvinia is a highly invasive exotic floating fern that can spread very quickly. Dense mats of floating vegetation block sunlight and can result in the death of all other life beneath it. Information on how to identify giant salvinia can be found at http://salvinia.er.usgs.gov/.
Anyone finding suspected giant salvinia in a public water body should contact TPWD Aquatic Habitat Biologist Howard Elder at (409) 384-9965 or Rick Ott at (903) 566-2161.

CAPTION INFORMATION
KennethKay
TPWD fisheries technician Kenneth Kay removed additional giant salvinia from Brandy Branch Reservoir on Tuesday. Kay spotted the invasive plant being introduced into the lake by an angler on Sunday.

BurgessAlford
Southwest Electric Power Company employees John Burgess (left) and Jim Alford installed signs and a barricade closing the Brandy Branch Reservoir boat ramp until all giant salvinia has been removed from the lake.

GreenKay
TPWD fisheries technicians Jacob Green (left) and Kenneth Kay installed a floating boom around the boat ramp on Brandy Branch Reservoir Tuesday to confine any remaining water hyacinth and giant salvinia plants to the area. TPWD biologists will inspect the area daily.

GiantSalvinia
Giant salvinia (salvinia molesta) is an extremely invasive non-native floating plant that can completely cover a water body if left unchecked. Anyone finding suspected giant salvinia should notify Texas Parks and Wildlife Department immediately.

CREDIT
TPWD photos © 2008, Larry D. Hodge

Water Hyacinth is present on Cedar Creek, in many different locations. I spoke with Mr. Butler, of TCWB, about this. He informed me that TCWB has a map of identified areas and its monitored weekly/monthly. He also told me that TCWB doesn't see this at a problem at the present time, nor does he expect it to be addressed this summer. He said it may become one and have to be addressed at some point in the future. Said they have had, and continue to have lots of contact with Mr Richard Ott, Natural Resources Specialist VI, of TPWD on this matter.

a 100# from his trailer. I got to call BS on that.
That dude was planting that.

Gonna have to stop having bass tournaments with all those boats going to diffrent lakes each week. The Brandy Branch power plant lake near Marshall was free of the weed one week but the ramp was closed that weekend after a bass tournament. The found the weed at the boat ramp. Probably gong to kiss that little lake good bye now.

This time it didn't come from a bass tournament.

TPWD personnel removed approximately 100 pounds of invasive plants. The game wardens issued the angler a citation. The angler stated that he had been fishing at Caddo Lake the previous day and named the ramp he used. That ramp is posted with a sign warning anglers of the presence of giant salvinia and stating that it is against the law to transport the plant.

Possession or transport of giant salvinia or other prohibited aquatic vegetation in Texas is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $25 to $500 per plant. Anyone seeing a possible violation may report it by calling (800) 792-GAME.

Giant salvinia is a highly invasive exotic floating fern that can spread very quickly. Dense mats of floating vegetation block sunlight and can result in the death of all other life beneath it. Information on how to identify giant salvinia can be found at http://salvinia.er.usgs.gov/.

On 2/9/08, I took two grandson up one of the major
drainages on Toledo Bend to where the channel was
completly blocked by Salvinia Molesta. I drove the boat
into the vegetation as far as possible. The channel
of the creek is directly in front of the boat. The
salvinia is rusty color due to recent frost. It is
not dead. We raked holes to fish thru. Sorta like ice
fishing. In about two hours these kids kept 50 crappie
and caught/released several bass.
So when you read that fish can not exist under salvinia,
it just isn't true in every situation.

When I first moved to Texas in 2003, I asked the authorities if it was OK for me to transport my boat from Lake Lavon to Texoma, and did I need to treat it with anything (bleach, for example). They were pretty cavalier about telling me that it was no problem.

It is still hard for me to believe that the little plant we used to keep in our fish aquariums is now closing lakes throughout the USA.

Well. believe it George. If it were not a deadly threat to all freshwater fisheries in this state the posts would not be here. TWPD would not be spending a sizable portion of their budget to stop it. Just read up on Giant Salvinia if you need more convincing.

Well. believe it George. If it were not a deadly threat to all freshwater fisheries in this state the posts would not be here. TWPD would not be spending a sizable portion of their budget to stop it. Just read up on Giant Salvinia if you need more convincing

When Salvinia fills fish it is usually the end result of completely covering the body of water, blocking all sunlight, and preventing O2 replacement. The fish simply can't get sufficient O2 nor food and die...all of them. Happens relatively quickly in small bodies of water such as ponds, but takes longer to get complete coverage the larger water body...but left unchecked, it will cover everything and kill everything.

Is there a solution?

If so, why do I have to spend my time going to a seminar to find out what the solution is?

Can't someone simply post the solution here?

Herbicide? Hand weeding? Voodoo? Is it a big secret?

what about HARVESTING the WHOLE PLANT beds???