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Anglers battle invasive aquatics

Anglers battle invasive aquatics
COURTESY/TPWD • LARRY D. HODGE Howard Elder (right), aquatic vegetation biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, instructs volunteers on how to recognize giant salvinia before the Sam Rayburn roundup July 18.
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August 18, 2009
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ATHENS -- Texas anglers and boaters get it: Invasive aquatic species are a real and growing threat to their ability to do what they love to do -- but they don’t have to stand by and watch it happen. They can fight back, and that was the purpose of two separate events on July 18.

Working with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), volunteers from the American Anglers Club from Temple and Killeen, the Grand Saline Bass Club, and the Lindale Bass Club removed seven dump-truck loads of water hyacinth from Lake Quitman. That same day, a number of interested citizens and members of the Beaumont Bass Club, the Houston Bass Bandits, and the Magnolia-Tomball Bass Club scoured the area around boat ramps on Sam Rayburn Reservoir looking for giant salvinia.

“No giant salvinia was found, although some volunteers did bring in common salvinia,” said Howard Elder, aquatic vegetation biologist for TPWD. “It’s possible the plant is there hiding under buttonbush and along the banks where bass boats couldn’t get to it.”

Members of local Boy Scout troops joined in the effort at Sam Rayburn, passing out information and collecting litter from around the Jackson Hill Park Marina boat ramp as part of a Keep Texas Beautiful project.

The fight against invasive aquatics like giant salvinia is important to everyone, not just boaters and anglers, said Terry Sympson, who manages the Jackson Hill Park and Marina on Sam Rayburn.

“TPWD biologists and game wardens can’t be everywhere at all times, so we depend on anglers and boaters to report infestations of giant salvinia,” said Elder. “Once we know where it is, we can go in and remove or treat it. We request that anyone finding suspected giant salvinia write down the GPS coordinates and call me at 409-384-9965. There is a fine of $500 per plant for transporting giant salvinia, but we are more interested in prevention than in enforcement.”
 


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