Agenda - 06-19-2012 - 8a - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 19, 2012 SUBJECT: Hydrilla in the Eno River DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation ( DEAPR) ATTACHMENTS: 1. Hydrilla Memorandum 2. Hydrilla Identification (NRCS) 3. Hydrilla Information Sheet Action Agenda Item No. PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) INFORMATION CONTACTS: David Stancil, 245 -2510 Thomas Davis, 245 -2513 No PURPOSE: To update the Board concerning the extent of Hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant, in the Eno River. BACKGROUND: Hydrilla ( Hydrilla verticcilata) is an invasive aquatic plant, originally found in Asia, that was first noted in the United States in the 1960s. Since that time, hydrilla has spread rapidly and has reached nuisance levels in many locations. Some individuals call hydrilla "the perfect aquatic plant" since it spreads rapidly, is able to reproduce in four different ways, grows in extremely low light, and is able to crowd out native aquatic vegetation. Staff has learned that hydrilla is likely present throughout the Eno River in Orange County. Eno River State Park staff indicated that hydrilla is the "number one resource management problem in the Eno: more so than water flow." Hydrilla causes negative water quality impacts, can be harmful to the river ecosystem, and adversely impacts the recreational experiences of people during the summer months, as explained in the attached memo. Hydrilla can be spread from one water body to another via watercraft or waterfowl that move from one water body to another. Finally, the plant has also been spread by people that discard materials from their home aquariums. Aquatic herbicides and sterile grass carp have been used with some success to manage hydrilla in lakes and reservoirs — including Lake Orange and West Fork of the Eno Reservoir — although grass carp can also remove native aquatic vegetation in addition to invasive species. Neither herbicides nor grass carp have been used successfully to control hydrilla in a riverine setting. Management of hydrilla in a flowing (lotic) system is very difficult. Further research is being conducted by the Department of Crop Science at North Carolina State University. Given the potentially harmful impacts of hydrilla infestation and the ease with which this invasive plant spreads, public outreach and education should be considered important components of any future efforts to manage the proliferation of this plant species. DEAPR staff will continue to monitor the situation, help with increasing public awareness of hydrilla, offer other technical