It almost looks like you could walk across the water as Salvinia has moved in on the Sabine River around Blue Bird’s Fish Camp near Simmons Drive.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department calls salvinia a floating fern, and currently one of the most problematic aquatic plants in Texas. It damages aquatic ecosystems by outgrowing and replacing native plants that provide food and habitat for native animals and waterfowl.
TPWD Inland Fisheries biologists told KOGT, “This has been a really bad year for salvinia since the lack of spring and summer rains did not flush the salvinia out from backwater areas like normal. Additionally, the slow decline in water level allowed the salvinia to follow the shoreline as it slowly receded. Then heavy rains arrived just at the peak of the growing season, flushing the salvinia from the backwaters out into the open. TPWD is seeing this same issue in most of the salvinia infested water bodies. TPWD can assist since it is a public water body, but due to scheduling and procedures that assistance would be in the October timeframe. There is a possibility, since it is in the Sabine River, the problem may remedy itself prior to any intervention by TPWD.”
Due to its fast growth and highly invasive nature it is illegal to transport giant salvinia on boat trailers, boat motors, or live wells. Therefore, watercraft owners are encouraged to clean boats and trailers before leaving salvinia infested water bodies.
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