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Toledo Bend Reservoir
1998
September Scattered floating plants of Salvinia molesta first detected late September on Toledo Bend Reservoir [James M. Hyde s.n. (FLAS)]. The 186,000 acre impoundment of the Sabine River forms a 90 mile border between Texas and Louisiana and is a popular bass fishing lake.
October Plants soon became common in the main channel and continued to increase until the onset of winter. Populations were most conspicuous at coves along the Louisiana shoreline, including an oxbow cut off at Salter Creek, Louisiana. Image 1 || Image 2 || Image 3
1999
January Survey detected an extensive range encompassing several hundred miles on the Texas shoreline (R. Helton, pers. comm.). The Toledo Bend watershed experienced heavy rain in January 1999 resulting in a lake rise of 3 feet in 2 days and necessitating rapid water spillage through the flood gates into the Sabine River. Winter winds had pushed most of the salvinia along the shoreline and as the water level receded large amounts of the weed were stranded on dry ground, leaving little on the lake (J. Hyde, pers. comm.).
May Plant densities had returned at Toledo Bend Reservoir. Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. found plants in shallows and under thickets of buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) difficult to reach by herbicide treatment crews.
2000
August While more than 1200 acres of giant salvinia had been targeted by dual state herbicide crews, extensive acreages remained on the reservoir.
2001
November/December Lake populations were unexplainably smaller this year. Texas Parks and Wildlife and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Depts. together treated only 130 acres of Salvinia molesta on Toledo Bend Reservoir during the 2001 season. The Louisiana shoreline currently hosts an estimate of less than 50 acres (C. Dugas, pers. comm.).
Contributor Acknowledgements
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