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Lake Anna advisory group says hydrilla growth outpaced reserves; board told treatment may tap lake fund
Summary
Supervisors were briefed that Lake Anna Advisory Committee has spent nearly $10,000 on hydrilla control so far this year, that reserve funds are down to roughly $24,000 from a desired $40,000 reserve, and that the committee will consider using lake reserve funds to treat new outbreaks and seek future grant funding to replenish reserves.
Supervisor McCotter and Lake Anna Advisory Committee volunteers told the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 2 that hydrilla growth on Lake Anna has increased this year and that the committee’s reserves are insufficient to cover current treatment needs.
McCotter reported that the LAC has spent nearly $10,000 this year on aquatic herbicide and grass carp and that the committee had tried to maintain a $40,000 reserve for high-demand years; he said the reserve was approximately $24,000 at the time of the meeting. He said the committee previously spent about $18,000 earlier in the season to treat about 20 acres in Plentiful Creek (in Spotsylvania County) and that treatment priorities are set by navigational hazard and continued multi-year hydrilla presence.
McCotter said LAC will meet Thursday to consider drawing on lake reserve funds to treat additional public-side areas now, rather than delay and face a larger management task later. He said a future tourism (TOT) grant application could help replenish reserves. He also said treatment is time sensitive: LAC members said herbicide work needs to proceed before water temperatures drop to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, a senescence threshold that reduces treatment effectiveness; on the morning of the meeting McCotter said surface temperatures were about 78°F, indicating there was still time to treat within about 30 days.
Supervisors emphasized that only public-side treatment funds were being discussed, that the lake fund is supported by multiple localities, and that the LAC ranking matrix prioritizes treatment areas shared among Louisa, Orange and Spotsylvania counties. No county appropriation decision was made at the Sept. 2 meeting; the committee planned to consider use of lake reserve funds at its Thursday meeting and to return recommendations to the board if a budget action is requested.
Committee members identified Goldmine Creek and Waddy’s Flats among areas residents reported as especially affected this season and asked the public to report site-specific concerns so the LAC can verify presence and rank sites for treatment.
