I read through parts of the TPWD 2022 Lake Conroe Fisheries Management Survey Report. In 2019 they stocked 1,103 grass carp and in 2020 they stocked 750 grass carp. According to their report Lake Conroe had a total of 3/4 of an acre of hydrilla throughout the entire lake in their 2021 study. They then came back in 2022 and stocked another 1,044 grass carp into the lake. If there already were 1,853 carp stocked in a lake with only 3/4 of an acre of hydrilla, then why did they need to stock another 1,044 grass carp? There is no way that these carp will not be eating the native vegetation (that the lake desperately needs) to be able to survive. TPWD has done a great job in many areas like their hatchery programs. However, seeing things like this makes it hard to trust them to take care of the ecosystem of our lakes that are close to urban areas.

If TPWD sees any grass in any body of water they kill it ,

You have to remember that these lakes are not designated for fisherman or water sports. Their #1 priority is to provide water to the city of Houston and surrounding areas, so I agree with you that vegetation is great for this natural filtration and clears up the water.
Unfortunately the homeowners around the lake don't like the look of it, so they complain the most (also contribute the most $) and it gets minimized.
They keep restocking the lake with carp because just like every other species of fish, some get taken out and some die off.

Enjoy it while you can it probably won't be around long.

I agree with you 100% and am not arguing but just lamenting what the homeowners likes and dislikes have to do with the water going to Houston. Surely the homeowners don't contribute enough $$$ to come close to matching the sale of the water to whatever communities receive it. I hate that "they", whoever "they" really is, kills the hydrilla in any of our lakes. and yes, I do realize that hydrilla is an invasive species of plant.

Heck ya!! Hydrilly is silly, fire them wake boards up!!

Hydrilla is not being be eradicated on Lake Conroe because it interferes with water supply. It is being destroyed because people that live on Lake Conroe don't want it in "their" lake.

TDPW are grass haters. Conroe is getting some growing. They must eradicate it all.

How can you have an invasive species in a reservoir which isn’t natural? The reservoir invaded the natural landscape.

Why don't they just rename the agency from Texas Parks & Wildlife to Texas Lakeside Homeowners & Wakeboarders Department?

Im just as guilty here but as long as all we do is complain on the tff and dont start working together to beat the system then we dang sure cant expect anything to change. Just my opinion, but the number 1 thing we could fight for is the outlaw of chemicals being used or somehow get hydrilla off the invasive list. You would think everybody, fishermen and recreational lake goers could agree that the chemicals should be outlawed completely.

Excellent point.

The problem is that the bass clubs have worked together with the governing bodies over the lake (Including TPWD) in the past to come up with a plan and everyone agreed on the number of carp needed. I think this was 2008. They then stocked that number of carp. The carp were young carp that they stocked. About a month or so later the homeowners rallied again complaining that they were not seeing any results so TPWD then gave another permit to stock thousands more carp and went way beyond the plan that was agreed to by all. The bass anglers that banded together to help come up with the plan were left in the dark on the second stocking. The result was a huge amount of carp that wiped out all the hydrilla in about two months. I will say, it was amazing to see how large these carp were just a few months after the stocking. I was actually punching a grass line in a tournament with a one ounce weight about 100 yards off the bank while watching the large carp consume away at the hydrilla next to my boat. The next months tournament all that hydrilla was gone all the way to the bank.

The first stocking of carp in 1981-1982 the state decided to stock 270,000 fingerlings. BASS got involved to fight the stockings. The courts delayed the stockings for a period of time. During this time the carp were kept in ponds and they grew to be adult fish in those ponds with a very high survival rate. Eventually the courts ruled that the carp could be stocked so TPWD stocked all the adult carp with the super high survival rate resulting in many more carp in the lake devouring every stitch of vegetation for a decade or more.

My point is fishermen have banded together to either fight or work with the SJRA and TPWD both times they stocked heavily and both times it completely backfired on the fishermen.

I get it. Im not saying theres a perfect solution but we have to be the loudest squeaking wheel. I guess it will always be a constant struggle between recreation and fishing but there has to be a mix that we can all agree on. The total eradication is STUPID and you would think TPWD would have learned that by now. It seems they have according to how they say they will manage moving forward. The carp will work if done right, i would rather them pay boats to scoop it out than carp or spraying. I think there should be a movement to get hydrilla off the invasive list. Then we have a leg to stand on about controlling it.

From a distance, it seems to me TPWD will only get as involved as much as the controlling local entity wants them to be involved. In Conroe's case, that is SJRA. There are plenty of places in the state where TPWD turns their noses up to hydrilla and leaves it alone. It would be interesting to see the "spray rate" of Corp lakes vs non corp lakes and which ones get the attention in this state.

If any efforts are to be made at saving the hydrilla in Conroe, it starts with SJRA. From what I can tell, TPWD is simply the executioner, not the judge.

The water districts on the lake's are about selling water, if they take a few million pounds of hydrilla/coonetail or whatever grass out of a lake, that means that it is replaced with water to sell.
It comes down to $$$. I think they use the homeowners to cover their azz, so the water authorities don't get the bad press.

Just my 2 cents.