The issue of grass growing in any body of water can become a heated issue. Some of that is due to perceptions about grass that is derived from stories about invasions of non-native grasses in many lakes that have caused problems for everyone including anglers and lake property owners.

Non-native grasses like hydrilla have caused serious problems in many bodies of water throughout the United States. Whether those problems impede boat traffic, interfere with dam operations or create concerns about appearance and dangers for lake property owners, they can be serious problems.

I would like to discuss native grasses as they relate to Lakes Oconee and Sinclair. No one wants an invasion of non-native grasses in either lake and individuals from Georgia Power who owns the lakes and the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (GWRD) who manage the lakes’ fisheries keep a watchful eye out for any indication that a non-native grass has been spotted. Any non-native grass would and should be quickly eradicated.

However some native grasses are encouraged and in fact their planting is financially supported by both Georgia Power and the GWRD. Water willow is one such grass. It is native to the Oconee River basin and thrived along the banks of the Oconee River long before both reservoirs were constructed.

Native water willow serves many beneficial purposes to the lakes. It is an important aquatic plant for stabilizing banks and for providing critical breeding and nursery habitat for many species of fish that thrive in both lakes. In addition to fish, the grass is important to birds and invertebrate populations in the lake.

Both lakes have seen water willow decrease since both reservoirs were built. The greatest cause for that decrease has been shoreline development and the resulting removal of the water willow either by landowners or developers.

I have heard several arguments or reasons for the removal. One reason is that the grass in unsightly or takes away from the appearance of the adjacent shoreline. Another reason is that the grass draws snakes and certainly if that were true no one would want their grandchildren swimming in a snake infested grassy area.

A landowner or developer will remove shoreline water willow and then build a seawall, place rip-rap in front of the seawall and plant all types of plants above the seawall. Some of the most beautiful shorelines I will argue are the last of the natural shorelines that are still in the lakes. I guess it is all in the eyes of the beholder.

As for the grass inviting snakes, I would argue that rip-rap and woody structures like seawalls will attract as many or more snakes than grass. Over many years of fishing in both lakes, I have seen more snakes sunning themselves on the back of a pontoon boat or laying on rip-rap than I have seen swimming in the water willow.

I have spoken to both Georgia Power and GWRD personnel about the native grasses in the lake, their ongoing efforts to plant native grasses and rules regarding the removal of any native grass from the lake. “We do get questions from landowners about aquatic plants, including water willow,” said Scott Hendricks, Georgia Power Land Management Office. “We have always been firm in our response that private landowners cannot use herbicides in the lake and we try to inform them about the benefits that aquatic plants provide.” 

Permits are required from Georgia Power to do anything to the natural shoreline and that includes removal of native grasses. “Georgia Power owns and operates the reservoirs and it is their responsibility to regulate what happens along the shoreline,” said Steve Schleiger, GWRD Fisheries Biologist. “I think early on when the habitat program was developed both Georgia Power and GWRD believed that education is the key to getting buy-in from fishermen and property owners.”

The work that both Georgia Power and GWRD are doing now to plant native grasses in both lakes is being done in uninhabited areas so as to not upset any landowners. However, they are open to any landowners’ requests that native grasses be planted along a landowner’s shoreline. Just last week I referred a landowner to GWRD who indicated she would like native grasses planted on her shoreline to help with shoreline erosion.

I know any discussion about grass in the lake can be controversial and I would invite any comments you might have on that subject. You can send your comments to me at brpeoples@windstream.net. Any comments received either positive or negative will be passed on to Georgia Power and the GWRD and could be included in a future article on this subject. Good fishing and see you next week.

 

Bobby Peoples can be reached by e-mail at brpeoples@windstream.net.