SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, Va. – Efforts to control the spread of hydrilla at Smith Mountain Lake are drawing mixed reactions, as officials weigh a plan to introduce grass-eating carp while some local fishermen urge alternative solutions.
Hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant first discovered in the lake in 2002, has remained a persistent issue. Officials say the plant grows rapidly, sometimes 1-3 inches a day, and is impossible to fully eradicate.
“It grows in large, dense mats that can actually prohibit the growth of native vegetation,” said Kristina Sage, executive director of the Tri-County Lakes Administrative Commission.
Sage and the commission are proposing to stock the lake with sterile carp that feed on hydrilla, a method used in the past to control the plant’s spread.
However, the proposal is facing pushback from some in the local fishing community.
“We think that there are better approaches like the spot application of fluoridone or other aquatic treatments,” said Jonathan Anderson, a local fisherman.
Concerns stem in part from a similar effort in 2013, when about 6,000 carp were introduced into the lake. While the fish successfully reduced hydrilla, some anglers say the effort also wiped out beneficial native vegetation.
“They did eradicate hydrilla, but they also eradicated all the beneficial native vegetation,” Anderson said.
Fishermen say aquatic vegetation is critical for fish habitats and helps maintain the lake’s reputation as a fishing destination.
“It takes three, four, five years to get that quality fish back, and then you’ve got to advertise it,” said Dewayne Lamb, owner of Indian Point Marina.
Lamb said his business saw a decline following the 2013 stocking and that fish populations have only recently recovered to previous levels.
“We really don’t want to go down that path again,” he said.
Sage said the commission is aware of those concerns and plans to introduce fewer carp this time in an effort to avoid eliminating all vegetation.
“We anticipate that it will be remediated in a slower fashion, and it won’t be wiped out in the sense that it was last time,” she said.
The Tri-County Lakes Administrative Commission is expected to make a decision on the plan in the coming weeks.