Giant Salvinia update

Last month, I wrote in about Giant Salvinia, an aquatic weed that'll invade Arkansas lakes soon enough. Since last month, the stuff has continued to spread. It's now been found in eight lakes and rivers in northwest Louisiana, including Black Bayou near Hosston (about 4 miles south of the Arkansas line). Here are a couple of pictures of Lake Bistineau, which is east of Shreveport:


Before long, that'll look like this (I don't even think the Waterboy could get through that). The easiest way for it to spread to different lakes is by boat and boat trailer as seen here:

Texas law now requires boaters in that state to inspect their boat and trailer prior to launching. Giant Salvinia creates a monoculture and suffocates/smothers out all other plant life. It can be treated by a spray, but unless the entire weed is killed, it'll just come back, and it normally doubles in size in 4 days. It won't take long for it to show here in Arkansas, and boaters ought to be on the lookout for it in places like Millwood and Lake Erling. Today's Shreveport Times has a very informative article on its growth and how it can be treated.