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Fish Feast on Invasive Weeds, Restoring Florida Lake
23 Aug
Summary
- Grass carp reduced hydrilla coverage from 95% to under 1% in Lake Baldwin.
- The grass carp treatment cost approximately $8,499 or $43 per acre.
- Grass carp are an effective, affordable biological tool for hydrilla control.
Lake Baldwin in the Orlando area faced a severe infestation, with invasive hydrilla covering approximately 95% of its surface. Florida wildlife managers introduced grass carp, a species imported from Asia, as a biological control agent.
This intervention drastically reduced hydrilla coverage to less than 1%, with the treatment costing about $8,499, averaging $43 per acre. Grass carp are highly effective, consuming their body weight daily in hydrilla during warm periods.
Once established, grass carp are difficult to remove, posing risks of overstocking and removing too much vegetation. To mitigate this, Florida regulates their use, limiting them to contained water bodies and requiring permits. This controlled approach was successful in Lake Baldwin.
