While lake managers across the country continue their war on aquatic vegetation, in North Carolina, they’re growing the stuff.
The recent story on AFTCO’s support of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), and the attempts to increase aquatic habitat through the introduction of plants, intrigued me. For generations, we’ve been taught (most prominently by agencies similar to the NCWRC) that aquatic plants are the enemy, capable of overtaking a body of water and rendering it useless. Yet, as anglers we regularly see the benefit of such growth. Could this be the change in thinking we need?
To find out, I spoke with Mark Fowlkes, Aquatic Habitat Coordinator for the NCWRC.
To be clear, this is not a new venture for the NCWRC, as the organization has been researching the effects of habitat management for years, and taken to the field for real-world testing on many occasions. Fowlkes chuckled as he reflected on the initial attempts to grow plants in discarded “plastic drawers out in the parking lot.” There was still a lot to learn.
The objective of the program has never wavered: “Our goal is to improve the fishery, as well as the angler success rate. In addition, if we improve water quality and bank stability, that’s a bonus,” Fowlkes noted. Through time and energy, the NCWRC has learned that vegetation is the best hope, in many cases, to produce a quality fishery that’s self-sustainable. Brush, as we know, disappears over time. Vegetation has the potential to last.
As Fowlkes was sure to point out, the program is “driven by and for anglers.” Make no mistake, what we’re seeing here is a response to the vocalized viewpoint of fishermen that some level of aquatic vegetation is good for most fisheries. Research agrees, as 10-20 percent of overall vegetative coverage has been shown to increase productivity in small to mid-sized lakes.
The NCWRC vegetation program is quite an in-depth operation. Through partnerships with groups like AFTCO and B.A.S.S., the NCWRC works with lake managers to best determine a program outline for each body of water independently. This is the only viable method, as each body of water is not only separate from others in terms of ecology, but also in use.
Fowlkes mentioned, for instance, how certain types of vegetation can only be planted in reservoirs with no shoreline development, to prevent overtaking boat docks and residential property. In other places, the goal may be to replace fast-spreading exotic species like hydrilla, or aid in the spawning success of certain fish species. Overpopulation of the vegetation must always be considered, eliminating some areas from receiving any plants at all.
Currently, the NWWRC program is utilizing about 10 plant species, from “lily pads” to water willow, coontail to “cabbage”, growing and planting each on a per-case basis. Some require exposure to cold in order to better propagate. Others perform well when uprooted by wave action. Taking note, program coordinators learn more each year and get better at the process.
Often, fence enclosures are needed to get plants established. This is especially true of tender, succulent versions. “We came to an enclosure that was mowed down,” Fowlkes remembered of an early project, “And full of deer tracks.” Through today’s more educated efforts, plants establish and spread to self-sustaining populations.
Fowlkes could not overstate the importance of networking for these efforts to be successful. “We always involve lake managers and the angling community for input.” In the past, the NWWRC has gone as far as providing stakeholders with a lake map, asking where they would like to see vegetation and building from there.
Imagine. In many parts of the county, anglers watch in horror while their best bass fishing spots are destroyed by spray boats, killing habitat. Yet, in some places around North Carolina, the state agency is doing just the opposite.
The program couldn’t take place without volunteers. Fowlkes noted that much of his workforce is lake property groups and local bass clubs. In recent times, “we’ve had tremendous help from the high school and college anglers.”
Funding for the program is also multi-sided. The majority of the money comes as an allotment from the Sportfish Restoration Act, a trust first enacted in 1950 by Dingell-Johnson and most recently reintroduced by Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Republican Garret Graves. The fund utilizes taxes on various equipment and, most considerably, a percentage of fuel tax to fund fisheries and boating projects.
AFTCO’s involvement will aid in the construction of a new greenhouse facility. In the future, Fowlkes envisioned a time when the NCWRC may help numerous organizations with plant growth, dramatically increasing the scope of the program. In addition, he stated the need for all anglers to inquire about similar programs to help area waterways.
“If a club has a local lake (that they think will benefit from habitat enhancement), they should contact their local biologist, in North Carolina or otherwise. If a group comes to a biologist (over a single person), that helps.”
What really helps is an agency willing to listen. Sure, not everything is cut and dry when managing an aquatic ecosystem. Lots of variables must be considered, as well as users. It’s great that the NCWRC is coming to the table with an open ear.
Because, in the case of aquatic vegetation, bass anglers have been vocal all along.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)
