Lake Athens floating boom

Lake Athens unfortunately is the latest water body to become infested with giant salvinia. TPWD's Aquatic Habitat Enhancement office installed a floating boom today to contain the salvinia. We are hopeful we can eradicate the salvinia at Lake Athens as it is currently contained behind the boom. I realize these booms can be an inconvenience and sometimes difficult to maneuver across but the purpose they serve is critical to the management and possible eradication of giant salvinia in Texas' lakes. If the boom is broken and containment of the giant salvinia is lost, we risk losing fish habitat and access throughout the reservoir. Please use caution when crossing the boom at Lake Athens. Thank you for your cooperation and tight lines.

Thank you for the heads up...proactive, Indeed!

Where are the buoys located?

It is a large orange boom, floating. It crosses the entire lake from just north of the ramp across the lake to where the newer Athens Water Supply building is located. I don’t see how you could cross it with your boat without damaging it.

um... trim up the motor maybe?

Honestly: if anyone is not smart enough to cross any of these booms without tearing the booms up: those people actually should not cross the booms!

An inboard crossing it would tear it up

True dat

Talking to the TPWD guy yesterday afternoon at the Athens ramp ......
you need to be real careful going across that boom
there is a very significantly "large" chain inside that boom that could do some real damage to your motor
...just sayin ....

Did they say you can go over it? I was out there saturday and did not go that way. Fishing was good so no need to go under the bridge

RIP Athens ^^^^^^^ wait, it died a couple years ago

So is the main lake accessible without crossing the boom. Thanks for any information about this and where the boom is located.

No problem getting to main lake. The boom is between the ramp and the bridge.

We found some of that slime on the other side today. Not sure if it is the same strand. But it was evident in some of the areas.

Dumb question, but isn't the boom kind of pointless if boats can cross it then cross back over it and possibly bring the salvinia with them?

Not a dumb question at all

The intent is for boats not to cross it
WHY some people would is beyond ne

Don't know about Athens but the people from the state who put one out on Fork advised on the forum a while back that it was just to contain most of it from spreading and that boats were allowed to go over it with care.

That is not the intent at all. It is perfectly ok for boats to cross it.

I did not say it wasn't "OK" for boats to cross it.
I said the "INTENT" was for boats not to cross it.........

The desired result is to NOT SPREAD the salvinia which has been detected in the back part of Lake Athens
salvinia can spread on its own by wind and waves &/or be carried on the hull, motor, prop, TM or whatever equipment of a boat.
if no boats cross over and back then the reduced chance of the bad stuff spreading ..... thus a better chance of the desired results

in some instances it is not against the law to go around/behind an orange cone ...... but they are usually put there to keep people or vehicles out of area
thus the color orange on the boom.

C'mon Man !!!! Isn't it just LOGICAL ?

I was out yesterday in my fishing canoe, saw a bit of Giant Salvinia up above 2495, not much . . . yet. But, it spreads very, very fast.

This happened with Alligator Weed on the lake, too, where it went from less than 1 surface acre in 2011, to 28 acres in 2012. I see none shown for 2013 (???), not much of it as I recall the last several years, maybe conditions weren't right, but oh did it show up in 2017. Acres and acres of the stuff.

Too early to say this year but still tons of Alligator Weed mats where I fish.

The boom will only work in places like the current one, places on the lake where it has a slender "waist line" like there near the 2495 bridge or in narrow coves.

If Giant Salvinia gets loose in the broader main lake area, it won't be able to be roped off, so to speak.

Brad

When the man that is responsible for putting them out says it is ok to cross them. Logic says it's ok to cross them.

.... "OK" to cross ....
just ":irresponsible" to cross and drag that stuff back

it's OK to speed .... but you might get a ticket
it's OK to drive in the left hand lane ..... but most people don't like you doing it
it's OK to spit juice on the ground ..... but it is disgusting
GET the PICTURE ?

it's OK to cross the boom ..... just irresponsible.

it is a difference of opinion ...... plus "THE MAN" is not always LOGICAL.

I’m John Findeisen, team leader of the TPWD Inland Fisheries Division’s Aquatic Habitat Enhancement team. My team has been installing floating booms on lakes Fork, Palestine, Martin Creek, Caddo, and Naconiche. These booms are not intended to prevent anglers from fishing within the enclosed area, rather, they were installed to contain as much of a giant salvinia infestation as possible, assisting with the management of this aggressive, non-native plant. Concentrating giant salvinia in an area helps prevent the further spread of this unwanted plant to other areas of the reservoir, increases efficiency and effectiveness of herbicide treatment(s), decreases the overall amount of herbicide used, and serves as a potential production area for giant salvinia weevils (as is the case on Caddo Lake).

If you want to fish on the other side of a boom, we recommend that you idle over the boom until the outboard motor gets close, then kill and raise the motor and ease over the boom with your trolling motor/paddle/push pole/etc. We also ask that you cross the boom (going in and coming out) in spots where no giant salvinia is along the boom. This will help keep the salvinia contained in the boomed-off area. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and helps TPWD continue to make fishing better in Texas.

Thanks,

John Findeisen
Natural Resources Specialist V
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Inland Fisheries Division - Aquatic Habitat Enhancement

John.Findeisen@tpwd.texas.gov


http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/12638752/1

Straight from the horses mouth over the intent of the booms.

So is it OK to spit juice on the BOOM as you cross over it?

Some people on here just don't understand that. They think they know everything

Good info. Thanks for sharing it

....well I stand corrected .....
if he says it's OK ....... I can no longer debate the point ..... logically.