Hydrilla still near record-high level

It's a dangerous scene that's become hard to avoid. It is reality for Lake Austin boaters like Steve Present who have noticed Hydrilla plants growing out of control over the last few years, still posing a risk for boaters and swimmers alike all year long.

"I was on my dock this morning and hereby there generating some water, and a big old pod of Hydrilla goes flowing down," said Present, who lives on Lake Austin, "so I don't believe it's changed much."

The Lower Colorado River Authority, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the city of Austin have worked all year trying to find a solution to control the prickly plant. They've released 40,000 sterile Asian grass carp to control the growth, but the results have been slow going. In September, the plant covered about 560 acres of the lake.

That's why Monday's Hydrilla briefing held in front of the Lake Austin Task Force was important -- to figure out how to tackle this out-of-control problem.

"We're very concerned," said Mary Gilroy, an environmentalist with the city of Austin. "We want to make sure the people that live on the lake and use the lake understand the city is working with partners to try and control these plants, but it's not an easy fix."

There are no quick solutions to the problem and the continuing drought makes it easier for Hydrilla to grow. Some say it is time for "out of the ordinary ideas."

" Getting together with the citizens that want to help," said Present, who had some ideas like, "Figuring out a way to cut it and figure out a way to capture and contain as much of that as we can and then giving the fish a chance to work."