Hydrilla is an unwelcome guest in the Eno River, according to Charlie Peek, the public information officer for the North Carolina State Park system.

“It grows from tubers way underneath the water. Once it gets a head start it just grows and grows until you’ve got this almost impenetrable mat of leaves and stems on the surface,” says Peek.

He says the invasive aquatic weed poses a threat to native wildlife.

“Not only is it just an irritant, in that it can coat the surface of the water, but it’ll crowd out native vegetation and native animal species, such as the fish and the mollusks. Then it becomes pretty serious because you’re upsetting the balance of that ecosystem.”

Hydrilla was first spotted in the Eno River State Park in 2005. Since then, it has spread from Hillsborough to 15-501 in Durham. Officials with the Eno River Hydrilla Task Force estimate it’s moving downriver at a rate of one mile each year. They worry it will become a serious problem if the plant reaches Falls Lake.

Now, the task force is launching a two-year study to see if an EPA-approved herbicide can stop the spread of hydrilla. The herbicide will be deployed during warm weather in parts of the Eno State Park starting this year.

Officials will hold a public information session on the plan this Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Conference Room 230 at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough.  You can find more on that meeting here.

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