Lake Tillery Hydrilla Management Project
March 2024 Public Meeting
A public meeting was held March 13, 2024, in Norwood, North Carolina, to inform the public of hydrilla treatment activities, and to allow the public a chance to voice concerns and ask questions regarding the project. This meeting had representatives from the Aquatic Weed Control Program, North Carolina State University and Duke Energy on a panel with several hundred public attendees. In this meeting, the history of Hydrilla management was discussed as well as the biology of Hydrilla and how to report a sighting to Duke Energy.
For information about what was presented at the public meeting or instructions about how to correctly report a sighting to Duke Energy please reference the links below:
Introduction
Lake Tillery is a part of the Yadkin-Peedee River basin. It is an impounded section of the Yadkin River, bordering Montgomery County and Stanly County. Lake Tillery supports recreational activities such as fishing, swimming and boating.
In 2006, Progress Energy staff observed Hydrilla near the Swift Island public boating access area. This was the first documented sighting of Hydrilla in Lake Tillery.
Hydrilla Management Activities and Objectives
Hydrilla management began in the fall of 2006, when Progress Energy conducted an herbicide treatment at Swift Island and targeted approximately 8 acres. Progress Energy continued with herbicide applications in 2007. Starting in 2008, Hydrilla management at Lake Tillery has been coordinated through a partnership which includes the NC Aquatic Weed Control Program (AWCP), NC Wildlife Resource Commission (WRC) and Progress Energy (now Duke Energy).
The primary objective of this project is to mitigate the negative impacts imposed by Hydrilla while maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Completely removing Hydrilla (i.e., eradication) from Lake Tillery may not be feasible with the tools that are currently available. This is due to, in part, the size and complexity of the lake. Secondly, Hydrilla persists in other locations within the Piedmont, and therefor, Lake Tillery is at risk of new introductions of Hydrilla, see Prevention and Control webpage.
The management of Hydrilla at Lake Tillery has been a balance of herbicide applications in conjunction with the use of Triploid Grass Carp. The partnership considers various factors when deciding how these management tools are implemented and adjusted. Factors that are considered include cost, types of negative impacts to the environment and lake users, efficacy and potential impacts to water use.
A record of management activities can be retrieved from the AWCP database.
A shoreline inspection of Lake Tillery is performed annually. The inspection is completed by conducting a submersed aquatic vegetation survey. These surveys incorporate physical sampling and sonar technology to detect the presence of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV). The data from these surveys is analyzed and summarized into reports. Management activities are heavily based on these survey reports. For example, if Hydrilla is trending up then more aggressive management will commence. Survey reports are posted on the Assessments and Surveys tab of this website.
Current News
Beginning in 2022, Hydrilla rapidly expanded across the lower reach of Lake Tillery. A survey in the fall of 2022 estimated 130 acres of Hydrilla. Responding to this, the partnership coordinated an herbicide treatment of 69 acres in 2023. Additionally, another 1,860 Triploid Grass Carp were stocked at the public boat launch at Lilly’s Bridge. Despite these ramped-up management efforts, the Fall survey in 2023 identified 257 acres of Hydrilla.
2023 SAV survey showing severity of hydrilla infestation (257 acres of coverage). |
During the 2024 weed season, the partnership coordinated the stocking of 3,688 additional Triploid Grass Carp, and herbicide applications that targeted 43 acres.
A public meeting was held March 13, 2024, in Norwood, North Carolina. The purpose of the meeting was to update the public of Hydrilla treatment activities and offer a forum for the community to voice concerns and/or ask questions regarding the project. Information was presented by the Aquatic Weed Control Program, North Carolina State University and Duke Energy. Presentations covered the history of Hydrilla management, the biology of Hydrilla and how to report a sighting to Duke Energy.
Copies of the Proposed Activities for 2024 Weed Season were distributed.
Reporting aquatic weeds
If you believe you have observed an invasive plant in Lake Tillery, please take a photo of it and report it using the Duke Energy Plant Reporting Tool. This tool can be used to report aquatic weeds observed in any of the Duke Energy lakes.