Lake Gaston Weed Treatment Plan

Hydrilla is the primary problem weed in Lake Gaston but it isn’t the only one. There is also lyngbya, Brazilian elodea, Eurasian watermilfoil and brittle naiad.

Hydrilla was first discovered in the U.S. in 1960 at two Florida locations. Since that time, it has been found in all Gulf Coast states and Atlantic Coast states as far north as Maryland and Delaware, and in the western states of California, Washington, and Arizona. It has also been found in nearby Kerr (Buggs Island) Lake. No one is sure how it got into U.S. waters, but the speculation is that it may have originated as an aquarium plant that somehow got into the lake and then was spread by boaters and anglers.

Hydrilla is native to the warmer areas of Asia. The plant is well adapted to life in submersed freshwater environments. Consequently, hydrilla has spread rapidly through portions of the United States and become a serious problem as it interferes with various water uses, displaces native aquatic plant communities, and adversely impacts freshwater habitats.

Since 2005 there have been publicly funded efforts to reduce or remove hydrilla and other noxious weeds in Lake Gaston. We have tried to gather below resources that may be helpful in learning about both the public and private efforts to rid the lake of this noxious weed.

Public Weed Control