Boaters face another summer of restrictions to keep invasive plant down PRVWSD keeps eye on Giant Salvinia plant in waterways Share Updated: 6:29 PM CDT Apr 12, 2021 PRVWSD keeps eye on Giant Salvinia plant in waterways Share Updated: 6:29 PM CDT Apr 12, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN BOATERS COULDN’T EVEN LEAVE PILLOW HATCHIE BAY HERE BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF SPREADING GIANT SALVENIA TO THE BIG WATER. NOW THAT MOTHER NATURE HAS LENT HER HAND. THERE IS SOME HOPE THAT THE PLAN HAS BEEN PUT DOWN BUT I’LL OPERATORS HERE STILL PLAN TO KEEP THEIR GUARD UP FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER SUMMER. IT IS IT IT’LL TAKE OVER IF YOU DON’T DO SOMETHING WITH IT. CRAPPIE FISHERMEN. WE’RE HAVING TO MOVE IN AND AROUND THE CONTAINMENT BOOMS AND PELAHATCHEE BAY BECAUSE OF THE LINGERING WORRY ABOUT THE SPREAD OF THE INVASIVE PLANT GIANT SALVINIA. IT’S A LITTLE AGGRAVATION, BUT YEAH, I’M FINE WITH JUST GOTTA FISH AROUND IT. YEAH, JUST FISH AROUND WE WENT AROUND FISHING ON THE CAUSEWAYS WILDLIFE MANAGERS HAVE DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CONTROL STRUCTURES UP FOR ANOTHER SUMMER IN THE BATTLE THAT STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN THE GIANT SALVINIA FIRST APPEARED RESEARCHERS BELIEVE IT WAS INTRODUCED BY A BOAT THAT HAD BEEN IN ANOTHER WATERWAY THE FAST SPREADING PLANT HAS OVERTAKEN LAKES AND PONDS AND OTHER STATES RESERVOIR OPERATORS ALL BUT SHUT DOWN THIS AREA PELAHATCHEE BAY WHEN IT WAS FIRST SPOTTED HOPING TO KEEP IT FROM THE FREEZE THAT WE GOT WITH ASSOCIATED WITH THE ICE STORM IN FEBRUARY WAS WHAT WE WERETORM IN LOOKING FOR FOR SEVERAL YEARS. WE DID GET THREE DAYS OF FREEZING ON THE LAKE AND WE THINK THAT REALLY WAS THE ICING ON THE CAKE AS FAR AS GETTING RID OF GIANT SALVANIA THAT SUSTAINED FEBRUARY FREEZE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE DESTROYED THE VAST MAJORITY IF NOT ALL OF THE VEGETATION THAT THRIVES IN WARM TROPICAL CONDITIONS PART OF THE BIG CHALLENGE HERE. IS THAT THE GIANT SALVINIA HASN’T BEEN SPOTTED IN THIS WATERWAY SINCE AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, BUT IT ONLY TAKES A SMALL PIECE OF THAT PLANT TO GET OUT AND CAUSE REAL BIG PROBLEMS DESPITE FLAMETHROWERS MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PESTICIDES THE INVASIVE PLANT HAS SURVIVED OPERATORS SAY THAT VOTERS WILL HAVE TO ENDURE ANOTHER SUMMER OF WATERWAY RESTRICTIONS PLAN IS SO VOLATILE THAT IF WE MISS SOMETHING IT COULD TAKE OVER THE LAKE AGAIN AND APPEAR TO MONTHS SO THEY WANT TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT WE HAVE ERADICATED IT. VOTERS CAN STILL ACCESS THE BIG WATER FROM PELAHATCHEE BAY HERE, BUT THEY ARE ASKED TO INSPECT THEIR BOATS AT STATIONS HERE BEFORE AND AFTER THEY GO INTO THE WATERWAY AND THAT’S ALSO THE CASE FOR UPCOMING FISHING TOURNAMENTS STRICT RULES IN PLACE FOR BOAT INSPECTIONS. HOPING NOT TO REPEAT HISTORY HERE AGAIN L