Let me pass along a few facts regarding the Lake Guntersville grass spraying issue. Lake Guntersville’s world-renowned reputation as a big-bass factory will be on the line at next week at SPRO’s Frog-Only Tournament. Much of the credit for this lakes success is the ample vegetation. Up until this year, homeowners have paid for weed control around their docks and along their waterfront. Now, TVA (a.k.a., TVA customers) is picking up the tab for spraying. As usual, change usually draws complaint, and there have been numerous charges that TVA has been spraying beyond the agreed-to vegetation control areas. This is categorically false. Let me explain why I believe this. This past week, TVA representatives met with the Stake Holders Committee and the Marshall County Chamber. I got a chance to ask, face-to-face, the questions you all have been asking me. After hearing the answers, I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the TVA is doing no more or less than they have done for many years. Let me pass along a few things that the general public may not know about Lake Guntersville and TVAs vegetation spraying. 1. TVA has budgeted exactly one million dollars to spend on Lake Guntersville vegetation control. The cost of spraying is nearly $1000 an acre. That means that TVA has funds to spray one thousand acres. The 76-mile long lake covers 67,900 acres and has 890 miles of shoreline. Do the math; exaggerated claims of widespread spraying just do not work with only one million dollars to spend. 2. Another grievance I hear is that many of the grassy areas of the lake have become slimy as a result of spraying. This also is untrue! Those slimy areas in the grass are filamentous green algae, which occurs naturally every year to some extent. The copper based chemical TVA sprays kills the algae immediately and does not promote growth of this slimy algae on the bottom! 3. Another thing that most people do not realize is that the state of Alabama has no control over the spraying of the lake. If a property owner or a group of property owners decide to pay out of their pocket to kill the grass around their dock, along their waterfront, or in their slough or creek, theres no state law to prevent them. Absurd as this may seem, it’s true. Neighboring states like Tennessee have laws in place to prevent citizens from killing vegetation on public watershed lakes. Alabama does not! This is happening on Lake Guntersville. Private companies working for individuals and homeowner groups are spraying the lake. If you want to help, then urge Alabama state representatives to pass a law that will put an end to this practice. 4. Lastly, anglers who see TVA boats running the lake sometimes assume that they are dropping chemicals. Not every TVA boat on the lake is spraying weeds. TVA employees constantly survey the lake, identifying areas they need to treat based on the agreements with the Stock Holders Committee. Unless you see a revolving yellow light on the boat, these boats are not dropping chemical. They may be crossing the lake, surveying it, or just running from ramp to ramps to spray, but it does not mean they are dropping chemicals everywhere they go. As I have pointed out several times, this year’s unusual weather has changed lake conditions and has forced anglers to change their tactics and timing; but don’t blame the weather on TVA. That federal agency is not killing grass beyond the approved shorelines, boat ramps and boats paths. There’s still plenty of forage-holding grass, and bass are moving into the weeds and under the mats to feed. The fall pattern has started earlier than typical, and I’ll be happy to show you how to take advantage of this change. Give me a call and let’s schedule a day on Lake Guntersville Captain Mike Gerry Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice Email: [email protected] Phone: 256 759 2270
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 02:46:21 +0000
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