Near Howey, hydrilla hits Little Lake Harris hard
Howey-in-the-Hills residents are alarmed that hydrilla, a peagreen invasive aquatic weed, is growing out of control in Little Lake Harris and preventing people from accessing the lake from their docks, Mayor Chris Sears said Friday.
“I’m extremely concerned about the health of the lake. The hydrilla is getting just exponentially bigger and wider,” Sears said. “It looks to be halfway out in Little Lake Harris now.”
The problem is most critical in areas of the lake bordering North Lakeshore Boulevard, a couple of blocks from the historic Howey mansion, which has been refurbished and has become a popular tourist attraction for the Lake County town of about 1,200 about 40 miles northwest of downtown Orlando.
Looking for answers on how to combat the problem, Howey invited a representative of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to speak to town council members at their meeting Monday night. FWC invasive plant management biologist Nathalie Visscher is due to appear when the meeting begins at 6 p.m.
Sears is hoping for a big turnout from residents to emphasize the need for action.
“I think the more people we can have there the better,” said Sears, who has been mayor since 2008 and added he hasn’t seen hydrilla this bad in the 25 years he’s lived in Howey. He said he’s talked to residents who’ve lived in town for 50 years and it’s the worst they’ve seen it, too.
Visscher didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Easily spread by boats, hydrilla is a submersed plant with a long stalk and clusters of leaves that can grow to the surface, where they form dense mats and impede navigation.
Hydrilla can be detrimental to “beneficial native habitat, navigation, flood control, potable and irrigation water supplies, recreation and the aesthetic qualities of lakes,” according to FWC’s website. “The FWC strives to balance these needs while managing hydrilla.”
Sears said he wants to hear if the FWC plans to spray the hydrilla and remove it. In March, the FWC treated 2,285 acres of invasive hydrilla on neighboring Lake Harris, also part of the Harris Chain of Lakes, to improve navigation on portions of the lake.
“We’re not overexaggerating the issue by any means — it is bad,” Sears said. “It’s probably the number one topic right now — people ask me, ‘What’s going on with the hydrilla?’”