Buchanan County to address vegetation at Lake Contrary meeting

By Chris Fortune

A proposed treatment to eliminate the weeds in Lake Contrary will be explained later this summer in a public meeting.

A press release from Buchanan County this week said a representative with Opterra Solutions will explain the functionality of a proposed enzyme treatment. Some residents have expressed concerns about what product may be used to kill the vegetation.

“We’re doing what we can to make it as safe and viable as possible,” Commissioner Ron Hook said. “We’ve included and involved the Department of Natural Resources and the Corps of Engineers, but the (Department of) Natural Resources is a big one because they’re going to give us the go-ahead.”

Removing vegetation from the lakebed is a significant obstacle the county must clear if it decides to dredge the lake because excess weeds can clog a dredge.

“We do have to get those weeds out of there somehow,” he said. “We want to know what the best and safest one is because what we’re wanting to do is pump all that silt into the river and let it go downstream.”

September and October are the optimal months to begin treating the vegetation.

“Over the wintertime that enzyme breaks down that plant,” he said. “Come spring, that area that is sprayed should be ready (to give) the go ahead to start dredging in that area.”

Hook said the county is considering using a drone system to deploy the treatment since they can fly lower and stay on top of the vegetation. Hand spraying may be used in areas along the shore.

“We definitely don’t want to affect anybody’s drinking water or any crops—anything at all that would cause a health hazard to anybody downstream of where we’re doing this,” he said.

The informational public meeting will be held at the Remington Nature Center on Aug. 1 at 6 p.m.