# Even Hydrilla can be good...??



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

The parking lot at my work has 3 retention/drainage ponds. Two of them have an aerator on them because of all the scum that forms on the water and the water is brown/green, basically disgusting. The third pond has somehow been infested with a bunch of Hydrilla. The water is crystal clear. Another testament to how a healthy, fast growing, albeit noxious weed, can outcompete algae!


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## pica (Sep 14, 2005)

It's kinda like lakes that get infested with hydrilla generally have more visibility. It's also good because it provides cover for fish. I have caught many bass on the edges of a hydrilla grass line. The problem is that it can choke a lake out. 
The lake I grew up around used to have a lot of hydrilla in it. I guess TPWD got concerned about it choking the lake off so they killed most of it. Unfortunately, when they took away the hydrilla they took away the buffer between the lake and the shore. So now the lake has gradually been silting in over the last 20 years. Many prime fishing locations are not accessible anymore because there isn't water back there. Like back ends of creeks. And it has always been low visibility. I went back a couple years ago and saw that in the back ends of some creeks it was starting to grow back. It's a shame because it once was as good a bass lake as Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend, which do have a lot of hydrilla.
Lake Conroe had a hydrilla infestation and they introduced a bunch of grass carp into the lake and now they don't have that problem anymore. 

So I guess it can be good and bad.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

*Zebra mussels can be good, too!*

About 20 years ago, Vallisneria was an endangered species in Lake Erie because huge algae blooms were shading it out. Along comes the zebra mussel, and clears out the water nicely, and now the beds of Vallisneria are so luxurious that one can hardly get a boat through them.


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## Dan (Aug 6, 2005)

HeyPK said:


> About 20 years ago, Vallisneria was an endangered species in Lake Erie because huge algae blooms were shading it out. Along comes the zebra mussel, and clears out the water nicely, and now the beds of Vallisneria are so luxurious that one can hardly get a boat through them.


The zebra mussel has done far more damage than good .
But at least something good has come from it.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

It does not matter what plant is in there, with high density, roughly 50% or more cverage, there will be little algae and clear water.

This has been shown in many research projects over the years in FL.
Nothing new.

You will definitely want something other than Hydrilla though.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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