Hydrilla

Hydrilla.It sounds like a name more appropriate for the reptilian star of a Japanese horror flick than a leafy underwater weed.The pesky plant is nonetheless emerging as a monstrous headache for Howard County officials, who say the growth of hydrilla in Centennial Lake could harm that east county tourist attraction.There is even concern that the weeds could wreak further havoc by spreading from the lake to Little Patuxent River, a key link in the Patuxent drainage basin that flows into Chesapeake Bay. Since 1988, the county has spent nearly $50,000 to control the Centennial Lake hydrilla with herbicides.

ON THE POTOMAC RIVER -- An underwater jungle thrives beneath Nancy Rybicki's boat, with orange fish and exotic snails living among mounds of green hydrilla and flowering stargrass. Rybicki, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, plunges in a rake and drags up four species of aquatic plants from the water beside George Washington's Mount Vernon home. "Look at all the diversity - it's good for the fish, good for the birds," she says, fingering strands as lush as a mermaid's hair. More than two decades ago, headlines screamed of dire threats to the Potomac River from hydrilla, a fast-growing Asian plant that began spreading across the United States in the 1980s after being dumped from an aquarium into a Florida river.

Meet the spunky hydrilla, a leafy aquatic weed that replicates furiously and can take over an entire pond, lake or stream in just weeks.While the plant has been the source for more than a few jokes among Howard County government officials lately, there's also serious concern about Lake Centennial, one of the county's premier recreation spots.An infestation of the lake, spotted in 1987, is so serious that some Howard lawmakers are considering seeking an exemption to the state's ban on introducing any fish into Maryland waters that doesn't naturally occur here.

The locations Piney Run: You'll find largemouth bass in the open pockets in deeper weed beds and in channels that drop off from the hydrilla beds, says Jim Gronaw at the park office. Fish small plastic worms and 4- to 5-inch Yamamoto Senkos to catch fish in the 1-3 pound range. Bluegills are holding 8-20 feet deep and over the deeper hydrilla beds. Maggots and nightcrawlers are best baits. Jeff Lawson of Cockeysville and Charles Jaster of Middleton each caught a rotund 10-inch bluegill, good for a state citation.

Water quality at Piney Run Lake is rated good to fair, but Carroll County water specialists have detected the presence of an exotic aquatic plant - commonly called hydrilla - that could cause problems if its growth is not controlled and the lake becomes a water source for South Carroll. Recent monitoring showed that hydrilla verticillata, a non-native, fast-growing aquatic plant, has grown as tall as 3 feet and is visible on the surface along the shoreline. "It is important to monitor this species' remarkable growth rate to determine its impact," a water assessment report from the county water resource planning division says.

ON THE POTOMAC RIVER -- An underwater jungle thrives beneath Nancy Rybicki's boat, with orange fish and exotic snails living among mounds of green hydrilla and flowering stargrass. Rybicki, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, plunges in a rake and drags up four species of aquatic plants from the water beside George Washington's Mount Vernon home. "Look at all the diversity - it's good for the fish, good for the birds," she says, fingering strands as lush as a mermaid's hair. More than two decades ago, headlines screamed of dire threats to the Potomac River from hydrilla, a fast-growing Asian plant that began spreading across the United States in the 1980s after being dumped from an aquarium into a Florida river.

Water quality at Piney Run Lake is rated good to fair, but Carroll County water specialists have detected the presence of an exotic aquatic plant - commonly called hydrilla - that could cause problems if its growth is not controlled and the lake becomes a water source for South Carroll. Recent monitoring showed that hydrilla verticillata, a non-native, fast-growing aquatic plant, has grown as tall as 3 feet and is visible on the surface along the shoreline. "It is important to monitor this species' remarkable growth rate to determine its impact," a water assessment report from the county water resource planning division says.

WASHINGTON - Some public beaches along the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia are likely to be overrun with aquatic weeds, said Stuart Freudberg, director of environmental programs for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.And boaters could be aggravated this summer by strings of hydrilla winding around their propellers, he warned.Federal funds used to mow hydrilla were cut by President Clinton from the budget that went into effect Oct. 1.One of the worst consequences could be that property owners "would probably take matters into their own hands," Freudberg told the COG board.

Twenty years ago, the upper tidal Potomac River below Washington was an open sewer. Waterfront parks and launching ramps were posted with signs warning people to stay out of the water.The river, as any bass fisherman knows, has been changed. And tomorrow at Smallwood State Park near Waldorf, many of the top bass fishermen in the nation will open a Bassmaster BP Top 100 tournament on the Potomac, which now ranks as one of the better largemouth bass rivers on the East Coast, if not in the country.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Hydrilla, originally feared as the scourge of the Potomac, hasn't lived up to its ugly reputation. Let the sailboaters and pleasure cruisers gripe, but bass chasers are finding this exotic growth a boon for largemouths.There's a half-mile-long patch of the matted vegetation just below the Woodrow Wilson Bridge that is lovingly referred to as "Bass Hotel," and it lives up to its name. It just may be the hottest bass spot in Maryland.Located off Belle Haven Marina where Scott Sewell and I boarded bass outfitter Ken Penrod's bassboat, Bass Hotel is hammered hard daily, but there are always more fish to bust through the thick dark brownish weeds to grab the next bait.

Water quality at Piney Run Lake is rated good to fair, but Carroll County water specialists have detected the presence of an exotic aquatic plant - commonly called hydrilla - that could cause problems if its growth is not controlled and the lake becomes a water source for South Carroll. Recent monitoring showed that hydrilla verticillata, a non-native, fast-growing aquatic plant, has grown as tall as 3 feet and is visible on the surface along the shoreline. "It is important to monitor this species' remarkable growth rate to determine its impact," a water assessment report from the county water resource planning division says.

Water quality at Piney Run Lake is rated good to fair, but Carroll County water specialists have detected the presence of an exotic aquatic plant - commonly called hydrilla - that could cause problems if its growth is not controlled and the lake becomes a water source for South Carroll. Recent monitoring showed that hydrilla verticillata, a non-native, fast-growing aquatic plant, has grown as tall as 3 feet and is visible on the surface along the shoreline. "It is important to monitor this species' remarkable growth rate to determine its impact," a water assessment report from the county water resource planning division says.

BOCA CHICA BEACH, Texas - Until a few months ago, the Rio Grande gushed into the Gulf of Mexico here, but now the river's mouth is parched - instead of a ribbon of blue, a 500-foot sandbar marks the U.S.-Mexico border. That and a small sign, some strategically placed driftwood and a piece of drooping orange fence. An eight-year drought and voracious invaders - hundreds of thousands of thirsty migrants to booming border towns and exotic, water-hungry weeds - have consumed the great river's flow and helped bring it to this pathetic end after a journey of 1,900 miles from the Colorado mountains.

WASHINGTON - Some public beaches along the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia are likely to be overrun with aquatic weeds, said Stuart Freudberg, director of environmental programs for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.And boaters could be aggravated this summer by strings of hydrilla winding around their propellers, he warned.Federal funds used to mow hydrilla were cut by President Clinton from the budget that went into effect Oct. 1.One of the worst consequences could be that property owners "would probably take matters into their own hands," Freudberg told the COG board.

Twenty years ago, the upper tidal Potomac River below Washington was an open sewer. Waterfront parks and launching ramps were posted with signs warning people to stay out of the water.The river, as any bass fisherman knows, has been changed. And tomorrow at Smallwood State Park near Waldorf, many of the top bass fishermen in the nation will open a Bassmaster BP Top 100 tournament on the Potomac, which now ranks as one of the better largemouth bass rivers on the East Coast, if not in the country.

Hydrilla.It sounds like a name more appropriate for the reptilian star of a Japanese horror flick than a leafy underwater weed.The pesky plant is nonetheless emerging as a monstrous headache for Howard County officials, who say the growth of hydrilla in Centennial Lake could harm that east county tourist attraction.There is even concern that the weeds could wreak further havoc by spreading from the lake to Little Patuxent River, a key link in the Patuxent drainage basin that flows into Chesapeake Bay. Since 1988, the county has spent nearly $50,000 to control the Centennial Lake hydrilla with herbicides.

CHICAMUXEN -- Guide Glenn Peacock's stock in trade is the largemouth bass. On this fish he has established a fine business practically year 'round on the Potomac River near Washington, also a reputation good enough to rate a booking by George Bush.But these days Peacock's mind wanders from the green fish he loves to challenge with soft plastic baits. Now sharing his thoughts and anticipations are the bigger silver-finned creatures with the black stripes. Rockfish.Come Oct. 5, Peacock and his clientele will enjoy the best of both worlds -- bass on slack, low, and in-between waters; rockfish on high waters, the higher the better.

BOCA CHICA BEACH, Texas - Until a few months ago, the Rio Grande gushed into the Gulf of Mexico here, but now the river's mouth is parched - instead of a ribbon of blue, a 500-foot sandbar marks the U.S.-Mexico border. That and a small sign, some strategically placed driftwood and a piece of drooping orange fence. An eight-year drought and voracious invaders - hundreds of thousands of thirsty migrants to booming border towns and exotic, water-hungry weeds - have consumed the great river's flow and helped bring it to this pathetic end after a journey of 1,900 miles from the Colorado mountains.

Meet the spunky hydrilla, a leafy aquatic weed that replicates furiously and can take over an entire pond, lake or stream in just weeks.While the plant has been the source for more than a few jokes among Howard County government officials lately, there's also serious concern about Lake Centennial, one of the county's premier recreation spots.An infestation of the lake, spotted in 1987, is so serious that some Howard lawmakers are considering seeking an exemption to the state's ban on introducing any fish into Maryland waters that doesn't naturally occur here.