More carp brought in to combat hydrilla

AUSTIN (KXAN) - City scientists are calling it a plant explosion in Lake Austin.

They say an unwanted weed called hydrilla is seven times worse than in recent years. Tests last fall revealed the invasive plant is covering about 30 percent of the lake.

City of Austin scientists say the drought is helping it grow like never before.

"It's lowered Lake Travis which means the water coming into Lake Austin is much warmer and hydrilla likes warm water," said Mary Gilroy, an environmental scientists with the City of Austin.

The city of Austin had 3,000 sterile Asian Grass Carp trucked in from a hatchery in Arkansas Friday night.

They are expected to be released into the water around 10 p.m.

It's a method the city has used numerous times before. This time they will be bringing in more fish in a shorter amount of time to try to get ahead of the problem.

The unwanted weeds put a damper on lake business. They get wrapped around boat propellers and are not fun for swimmers.

The city is planning on putting another 12,000 sterile carp in the lake over the next few months, but a shortage at the hatchery in Arkansas is slowing down the process.

Each carp costs $6.90, which includes transporting the fish to Austin. Friday's release cost the city $20,700. To date, the city and state have shelled out $150,000 to stock Asian carp in Lake Austin.