The lake is finally starting to drop from a high of about one and one half feet above pool stage. As of this morning there were still 11 spillway gates open at 4 feet which is less than the 7' open earlier. Nov 2nd they were pulling 73,300 cfs which is 32,897,000 gallons per minute.

There has been a trememdous amount of floating vegetation coming down the lake for the past few days and the attached pictures show what was taking place at the Pendelton bridge this morning.

The pictures show one single mat of hyacinths, giant salvinia and various other species that is 1 mile wide and could be seen from the mouth of Patroon to Cypress Bend. For a good perspective, the lake is 3 miles wide at the point the pictures were taken.

Break out the flippin sticks!

I just got back from the dam and it is not there yet, I got a video that I will be loading this afternoon.
I got it loaded and it is wild to see how fast it is moving. If you watch it look at the bridge and watch the plants move.

Wow,,, thanks for the pictures. I sure am glad all this waited until after the Stren. I do hate to see all that vegetation floating toward the gates though. If it goes through the gates, it could spread to other lakes downstream.

A local TV station put in perspective exactly how much water is being released from the Bend...

"As you know, Toledo Bend Dam is releasing water through 11 gates which will cause flooding along the Sabine River.

Meteorologist James Brown has developed this analogy to put the amount of water being released into layman's terms. Here is his example.

Each gate at Toledo Bend has been opened 4 feet.

The total release of all eleven gates is 4,369,371 cubic feet per second. (4.3 million)

That number translates into 262,162,285 gallons per minute. (262 million)

At that rate, this amount of water could fill 437 Olympic-sized swimming pools every minute."

wow thats some crazy pics.... can u still run through that stuff wide open in the channel markers? that stuff already spreads easy enough as it is....

I wouldn't, it's like hitting carpet here on Fork.. Boats don't do well on carpet. At Least mine don't.

Are there any lakes downstream from TB, or will the grass just flush out into the gulf?

Yeah its amazing how much water has been let out of the Bend...but its been falling steadly.....

I live in a small cove right off the main lake....not all that far from the bridge and that salvinia has been a killer....ive been racking it out of the water and burning it for the last two weeks....everyone in our cove has been doing there part too keep it out....

My neighbor has gotten permisson from the SRA too install a catch system at the mouth of our cove as long as its stagered so boat traffic can get in and out safely...we are all going too pitch in and make this system ourself....to keep this stuff out of our cove.....and hopefully keep it moving down and out of our lake.....this is some bad stuff...

The SRA also said they are rounding up helicopters too spray this stuff....dont know when this will take place hopefully soon....before more people are stuck in there coves cause there boat cant make it through

thats crazy. i thought they were flushing out Ray HUbbard with lavon water, until i read your report!

I just spoke to a person who was refueling a helicopter and they said, they are maping T Bend and could start sprying late this afternoon or Saturday. More info as I find it out.

I was sure hoping they could spray it while it's matted up like that. No way to do it everywhere though.

That spray will kill fish or shute them down for monthes. If you fish livingston you would know.

Glyphosate is a very safe herbicide and won't hurt fish or other wildlife under a normal spray protocol.

A statement from TP&WD:

"On Thursday, the agency declared an emergency to rid Toledo Bend of the miles long and hundreds of yards wide “rafts” of weeds.



Howard Elder, TP&WD Aquatic Habitat Biologist, is treating the situation as an emergency and will hire a contractor to apply the herbicide by helicopter as soon as possible.



With the plants being located in the open reservoir it will actually make the plants more accessible to spraying, said Elder.



“It usually takes about two weeks for effects of treatment to become readily visible,” he said. “We do want the public and all the water suppliers who take water from the lake to be aware of this action.”



Elder is moving as quickly as possible to survey the extent of the infestation and acquire sufficient herbicide to treat the area. “We use glyphosate, which is the safest herbicide we can use,” he said. “However, we will not treat any location that is within two miles of an intake for a potable water supply.”

thanks Kestral63 for the updates
same thing is happening down here in Morgan City La,
but along with the hyacinth ,,,giant salvinia fills
in the gaps

I have video's Loading and will be posted later tonight of the choppers working.

ATHENS, Texas — Helicopter crews are scheduled to begin herbicide treatment of the floating mats of giant salvinia and water hyacinth on Toledo Bend Reservoir at 7:00 a.m. on November 7, 2009.

Have you ever fished Livingston. Do you know a local that fishes there every weekend. If you do call them and ask about it. It is famous for movin fish. The stuff breaks down and builds a silt layer of [censored]. it is bad and will move fish. If you don't beleave me ask someone.

Hope they don't spray me !!!! Gonna be fishing my club T tomorrow and planned to fish just south of the bridge...might have to change plans !

I believe you're referring to the decaying vegetation that results from the treatment, not the glyphosate itself. Chemically, it cannot cause precipitation of silt or any other compounds in water. I assure you glyphosate is a very safe herbicide - unless you're a plant. That's why it's so popular.

Great info Andi, I just got the video loaded and up, it is very cool how they load the choppers.

They had some survey choppers out today.....flying all over the mid lake area.....its good too see...i agree with andi on this one...its only harmful for plants..(hopefully it dont kill all the grass but if its deeper water it should be safe) .i think it could have some negative effects on the lake for a short time due too decaying matter...but its well worth it...and i support it to the fullest..i also believe this is the best time too do it with all the water moving in and out of this lake....... if u think about it...alot of the mats are being pulled out of the coves...leaveing them more vulnerable too this treatment...after they are sprayed they will continue to travel and decay down the lake (in deeper water) and not just in the back of a cove were all that decaying plant matter will sit and change the o2% and ph% etc..of the water (Which silvinia has an impact on the fishing any how when it starts growing down) .I dont know what happend at livingston but if all that salvinia was just sitting in the back of coves with no water flow thats a bad time too spray it and will have a huge impact on the fishing.I would be interested in more info on this livingston issue though..anyways thats just my 2 cents

by the way Andi ill give you a call in the next few days about those spinnerbaits i got alot going on at the house right now im preping to paint and landscape the house

Ooh! Painting and landscaping sounds like fun! I love that sort of stuff.

I agree, the time is right with the invaders out in open water. The deeper grass should be fine, however emergent mats will take a hit. I worry about our natives like pondweed out there on the main lake, but I guess the salvinia will end up killing it anyways if left unchecked.

Great video, Jay!