Final environmental assessment: Demonstration of use of grass carp in management of aquatic plants in Guntersville Reservoir

Technical Report · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6831351· OSTI ID:6831351

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plans to introduce triploid (sterile) grass carp into Guntersville Reservoir to test their usefulness in managing aquatic vegetation in a reservoir system. This demonstration is compatible with the long-range management plan for Guntersville Reservoir being developed jointly by TVA and the US Army Corps of Engineers at the request of several members of Congress. TVA is not at this time proposing to include grass carp as a routine component if its ongoing aquatic plant management program for Guntersville Reservoir or the TVA reservoir system. TVA's present program consists of water level fluctuations supplemented by herbicides. This environmental assessment evaluates several alternatives to use of grass carp, including use of water level fluctuations (drawdowns), herbicides, and mechanical harvesters. The overall target for this demonstration is to reduce aquatic vegetation in Guntersville Reservoir to about 7,000 acres. The results of this initial stocking will be closely monitored. The proposed monitoring will serve to evaluate the effectiveness of the grass carp demonstration. Because only triploid grass carp will be stocked and phased stocking will be done, any undesirable effects that monitoring might reveal should be reversible within a few years following termination of stocking. 88 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (USA). Aquatic Biology Dept.
• Sponsoring Organization: TVA
• OSTI ID: 6831351
• Report Number(s): TVA/RDG/EQS-90/3; ON: DE90011876
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
540310* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
ALABAMA
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
ECOSYSTEMS
ENDANGERED SPECIES
ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FEDERAL REGION IV
FISHES
FLUCTUATIONS
GRASS
HARVESTING
HERBICIDES
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LILIOPSIDA
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
MANAGEMENT
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
PESTICIDES
PLANTS
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
REMOVAL
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SURFACE WATERS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
USA
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES
WATER RESERVOIRS
WATER TABLES
WETLANDS
WILD ANIMALS