FORT RUCKER, Ala. (May 29, 2015) -- Aquatic vegetation in lakes such as Lake Tholocco can be a controversial subject.
Heavy vegetation can interfere with activities, such as water skiing, swimming and boating. On the other hand, vegetation in the lake provides oxygen, shade, cover and food sources for sport fish, as well as filtering the water in the lake and improving water quality. The trick is to manage the lake where there is not too much of a good thing.
Lake Tholocco is used for all these recreational purposes, as well as being used for military training. There are many patrons of the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation that use the lake for camping, swimming, boating, skiing, picnicking and other activities.
Lake Tholocco is also a popular fishing lake and provides opportunities to catch largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie, bream and channel catfish. Recent surveys indicate that the fishery is in good condition with healthy fish and well-distributed age classes. These fish tend to inhabit areas of the lake with good cover, such as grass, lily pads and woody areas.
During the last few years, a new type of submersed vegetation, fanwort, has begun to expand in the lake. This vegetation grows up from the bottom in waters up to 10 feet deep. When fanwort has topped out at the surface, it becomes thick enough to prevent outboard motor use where it occurs.
Fort Rucker Natural Resources personnel, in consultation with the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division have developed a plan for reducing the invasive aquatic vegetation in problem areas of the lake while retaining the fishery benefits of the vegetation in other areas. This will involve a two-pronged approach.
First, recreational areas that have encroaching vegetation such as boat ramps, boat docks, swimming areas and selected navigation access areas will be treated with aquatic herbicide to reduce the growth in these areas.
Secondly, a limited number of white amur (grass carp) will be stocked in the lake. These forage-eating fish consume large amounts of aquatic vegetation, especially submersed vegetation, such as fanwort. Repeated herbicide applications and additional white amur stockings may be necessary in the future if the problem does not decline.
The treatment application is scheduled for May-June and will be performed by a certified pest management applicator while utilizing airboats to access the impacted areas. The selected chemicals planned for use are labeled for this specific use and will not affect recreational use of the lake. The white amur, or grass-eating carp, will also be stocked in the lake during the same timeframe.
The DPW Natural Resources Branch will continue to monitor the lake on a regular basis to determine if additional measures for managing the aquatic vegetation are needed. Our goal is to maximize the availability of the lake for recreation and enjoyment while balancing the ecosystem for a high-quality fishery that will last many years.
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