Giant Salvinia is on the move again.  I ask that you be observant and aware when out on the lake.  Always be on the lookout for it and keep an eye on boats that are launching at any of the boat ramps on Lake Bob Sandlin.  Notify our Lake Patrol @ 903.466.1837 or call our office if you have any question or concern. 

According to Walt Sears, Northeast Texas Municipal Water District (NETMWD), today's Longview News Journal has an article that you may be interested in seeing.   It quotes Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) for saying that Lake O' the Pines, Lake Gilmer, and Lake Wright Patman have recently been infested with Giant Salvinia.

He indicated this same information was on the local news out of Shreveport last night and does not know whether additional TV stations reported on this story.

The link to the newspaper site is:

http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/giant-salvinia-spreading-across-east-texas-waterways/article_76f9410d-58de-545b-be29-5212f84f22ca.html.

Below are messages I received from Walt Sears, NETMWD, and Tim Bister, District Fisheries Biologist, TPWD, since last Friday:

The Corp of Engineers and TPWD found five boats/boat trailers at Lake O' the Pines this past weekend that had Giant Salvinia on them.  It has also been found in Lake Wright Patman.  Giant Salvinia doubles in size every 3-5 days in optimum growing conditions, so it can take over a lake in a hurry. 

Giant Salvinia is being brought to Lake O' the Pines in multiple locations and multiple exposures.  Infested lakes are the likely sources of the Giant Salvinia.  Boats that have been on infested lakes are the likely culprits causing this problem.

There has been a large effort to inform about the dangers of Giant Salvinia over the last several years.  This educational effort and constant checking of boat launch areas have been enough to keep Giant Salvinia out of Lake O' the Pines.  Up to now, the frequency of the exposures has been small enough to have an individual clean-up response. 

The increase in frequency is making it impossible to contain the Giant Salvinia in the boat launch area.  It seems likely that the increased frequency of contamination will cause Giant Salvinia to have a permanent presence in Lake O' the Pines.  Toledo Bend and Caddo Lake are two lakes that now have the presence of Giant Salvinia on an ongoing basis.  The cost to control this invasive species is significant on these two lakes. 

Once Lake O' the Pines has a permanent stand of Giant Salvinia, it will impact the diversion of water out of Lake O' the Pines.  Once the presence of Giant Salvinia is permanent, lakes upstream of Lake O' the Pines will be more likely to be exposed and contaminated.

This is disturbing news and we want to work diligently to keep this menace out of our lake.

You can go to YouTube and type in Lake Bistineau or Giant Salvinia in the search engine and learn more.

Thank you for your active participation in helping to keep Lake Bob Sandlin clean and free of Giant Salvinia. 

Darrell D. Grubbs

Executive Director

TCFWSD#1