Healthy waterways support both recreation and fisheries. From boating and swimming to fishing and wildlife habitat, clean and well-managed lakes and rivers create safe spaces for people and aquatic life. Our focus is on protecting water quality and managing plants so that recreation and fisheries can thrive.
One of the consequences of extended flooding and muddy water in the Tennessee Valley Authority lakes stretching across north Alabama is the decimation of underwater vegetation, changing the areas where bait and bass gather. Too much hydrilla and milfoil – both invasive species – is obviously a bad thing for boaters, anglers and fish because
Rudd Pond, located in Taconic State Park, recently received their new Aquarius Systems’ aquatic plant harvester. The pond has become overgrown with aquatic vegetation, keeping visitors from swimming, boating and camping. The park itself is also getting new bath houses, but the most important component of the redevelopment of Taconic State Park is the maintenance
A common aquarium plant illegally dumped into Alaskan waters that has adapted to cold weather could threaten wild salmon habitat and cost the commercial fishing industry hundreds of millions of dollars. A recent study conducted by ISER, the Institute of Social and Economic Research, found that if not managed, the cost of the elodea invasion
A recent increase in aquatic vegetation in Wheeler Reservoir in Alabama has anglers smiling, but local skiers, pleasure boaters and homeowners see the weeds as a menace. Tennessee Valley Authority officials said they are hearing lots of complaints from homeowners and boaters about the hydrilla, eel grass, star grass and milfoil up and down the
Following reports of hundreds of dead fish floating in Bayou Rouge in Cottonport, Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) conducted an investigation to find out what caused the fish kill. Officials determined that that fish died from a low dissolved oxygen level in the water, basically suffocating the fish. The low dissolved
What began as a shallow feeder lake for the Miami & Erie Canal in the 19th century, later turned into a popular resort park after the canal era ended in Ohio. Today, Indian Lake offers a variety of on-the-water recreational options including boating, fishing, jet skiing, and swimming. And, officials are dealing with an unprecedented
The sweet seep of autumn rain is bringing coho salmon back home to their natal streams all over the Puget Sound basin in Washington State— where too often they encounter a bitter truth: pollution in a shocking 40 percent of their home range so bad it can inflict a swift death. The culprit is stormwater,
In a typical year, the weed harvesters would usually be on Lake Hopatcong by mid-May. Unfortunately, due to state-wide budget issues weed harvesting has been delayed this season. Weed growth on the lake this year has been stimulated by a mild winter. The lake never fully iced over and this allowed for an early growth
In southwest Minnesota, the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District is tagging and tracking carp in an effort to find out where they congregate in the winter. The data is hoped to reveal the potential for a wintertime seining event. Lake Okabena has two to three times more carp than a healthy lake should have. It’s been determined