is an invasive aquatic weed that poses a significant threat to the native flora and fauna of Lake Chatuge. It can rapidly colonize water bodies, outcompeting native vegetation, disrupting the natural habitat, and impeding recreational activities. In response to this issue, SaveLakeChatuge.org and MountainTrue are developing a targeted and environmentally responsible plan to manage and treat the parrot feather infestation.

Along with many concerned citizens, the two organizations are raising funds to rid Lake Chatuge of the invasive weed known as "Parrot Feather." Parrot Feather appears to have started invading the lake two years ago. In this short time, the weed has spread to an estimated 275 square acres, and will continue to spread unless remediation efforts are taken.

The organizations have contacted the administrator for the lake, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and were told it only treats public areas, such as boat ramps and water treatment facilities, which would not prevent the spread of the weed to other areas of the lake. The Towns County government has advised the community that county funds are unavailable at this time, as the situation does not qualify for emergency funding — despite the huge economic impact on the area if left unresolved.

The project team then contacted three vendor groups, suggested by the TVA, which are licensed to chemically treat the lake in the state of Georgia. The project team has also secured the approval of Towns County Commissioner Clifford Bradshaw to collect contributions to fund this effort, which will consist of spraying the lake with an approved aquatic applicator. This process will be coordinated by MountainTrue, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that is already contracted by Towns County for bacterial monitoring of the lake and streams flowing into it.

The situation is urgent. If the weeds are not controlled this summer, the spread will be severe and the impact on the area devastating. Boat traffic, fishing, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding will be impossible in the cove areas of the lake, and the parrot feather will spread. Further, if recreational tourism is affected, commercial interests, such as restaurants and marinas, will be greatly impacted, and property values could be negatively impacted for residents. The cost of treatment this year is estimated to be $235,000-$400,000, with a potential for additional treatment needed in future years. However, with no action, the true cost will undoubtedly increase to millions. SaveLakeChatuge and MountainTrue urge the community to join in the effort to help save beautiful Lake Chatuge for future generations to enjoy.

Aqua Services Proposal Chosen for Control of Parrot Feather in Lake Chatuge.

MountainTrue and Save Lake Chatuge are excited to announce that a proposal from Aqua Services has been selected for control of the invasive parrot feather in the southern end of Lake Chatuge this year. The company will utilize two airboats, both capable of surface and deep-water application, to apply the herbicide ProcellaCOR at the appropriate rate(s) and depths. Customized rates will be applied to surface and subsurface plants depending on density, biomass, and water depth. The company conducted detailed mapping of the plants on Monday, February 26, in anticipation of drafting a contract with MountainTrue. While invoices will be based on the actual amount of herbicide applied, the total cost of this year’s treatment, including MountainTrue’s 10% project management fee, is anticipated to be around $220,000.

MountainTrue and Save Lake Chatuge are excited to announce that a proposal from Aqua Services has been selected for control of the invasive parrot feather in the southern end of Lake Chatuge this year. The company will utilize two airboats, both capable of surface and deep-water application, to apply the herbicide ProcellaCOR at the appropriate rate(s) and depths. Customized rates will be applied to surface and subsurface plants depending on density, biomass, and water depth. The company conducted detailed mapping of the plants on Monday, February 26, in anticipation of drafting a contract with MountainTrue. While invoices will be based on the actual amount of herbicide applied, the total cost of this year’s treatment, including MountainTrue’s 10% project management fee, is anticipated to be around $220,000.

ProcellaCOR was developed in 2010 and was subject to dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies for several years, leading up to its ultimate approval by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 2017. The active ingredient of ProcellaCOR, florpyrauxifen-benzyl, has been utilized worldwide for many years as an herbicide on food crops such as rice. It is applied directly into the water at the depth of the invasive plants. It is a systemic herbicide, meaning that the plant takes in the chemical and distributes it through its entire structure and roots rather than only killing the leaves. The plant dies off over a period of two to four weeks and breaks down naturally. Since ProcellaCOR works slowly and there will be cool water at the time of the initial application, slow plant decomposition is expected with little to no effect on dissolved oxygen levels. ProcellaCOR itself is short-lived and breaks down naturally and quickly, within three to four days.

According to the USEPA ProcellaCOR Pesticide Product Label, there are no restrictions for recreational purposes, including swimming and fishing, or for watering grass. The only restrictions for use of the treated water are for residential landscape plants and homeowner gardens. Almost all hazards described in the label are for the people who handle and apply the herbicide.

Before selecting Aqua Services, MountainTrue and a team of five people from Save Lake Chatuge reviewed proposals and credentials from five companies. We researched various potential methods of control, as well as several different herbicides, even going so far as to contact the manufacturers of the herbicides to speak with them about our specific project. Many of the research papers we found, as well as the species profile of parrot feather on the Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System website, were written in whole or in part by Ryan M. Wersal, Ph.D., who is an Associate Professor of Aquatic Weed Science at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Dr. Wersal did his doctoral thesis on parrot feather and is one of the world’s foremost experts on its treatment and control. We asked if he would help us decide on a treatment plan, and he agreed! After much exchange of information via email and phone, our group met with him virtually, and he recommended using the Auxin family of herbicides for treatment over all other potential methods and chemicals. ProcellaCOR was chosen because of its low use rate compared to the other auxin herbicides and because Aqua Services has used it with great success on other parrot feather infestations.

While other companies also proposed using ProcellaCOR as a primary method of treatment, Aqua Services, based in Guntersville, AL, has been in operation in the south for more than 40 years, holds contracts with TVA for aquatic weed management, and quoted the lowest price for our project. Click here to read more about Aqua Services.

Complete control of the parrot feather infestation will take more than one year, but next year, we’ll have much less to treat, and there may be a period of years after that when no treatment is needed. MountainTrue will maintain the monies in the Parrot Feather Treatment Fund in perpetuity for the control of invasive aquatic weeds in Lake Chatuge.

Q: How much will it cost? A: We’re still negotiating with vendors, but the cost for 2024 is expected to be about $220,000 to $250,000.

Q: Will that effectively eradicate the Parrot Feather? A: We believe this treatment will allow us to have a successful, fun-filled 2024 on the lake. Research says that Parrot Feather is difficult to completely eradicate, and maintenance will be required in future years, but that treatment in future years will be less expensive.

Q: What if we do nothing? A: Parrot Feather spreads quickly. In 2022 it was a nuisance in the southern part of the lake. By late summer 2023 residents and guests couldn’t swim in the water and couldn’t take their boats out. If we do nothing, expect it to spread to the entire lake, in any area where water depth is 15 feet or less. It’s not if, it’s when.

Q: Can’t the weeds be mechanically removed? A: Attempting to control parrot feather by manual or mechanical methods is likely to spread the plants further and should only be conducted in small, contained water bodies, not in a large reservoir like Lake Chatuge. Even driving through parrot feather in a boat can break off small pieces, which can drift and take root in another location!

Q: Wouldn’t it be better to just drain the lake and let the parrot feather die? A: Research shows that parrot feather roots can remain alive in the soil for up to 6 months with even the slightest bit of moisture. As a result, if the lake was drained, even for 6 months, the parrot feather would just come right back once the lake was filled again. Also, Lake Chatuge is fed by an impoundment of the Hiwassee River. The river channel could still harbor parrot feather even if the lake was drained. This is not a feasible option, particularly when you consider TVA's overall reservoir operations.

Q: Are these herbicides used to kill parrot feather going to poison our water supply? A: The following is a portion of a recent letter from MountainTrue to a concerned citizen: We understand people's concerns about herbicides being used in Lake Chatuge where water is withdrawn, treated and distributed as a public drinking water supply. MountainTrue is an environmental organization and if there was any other way to control the parrot feather, we would absolutely be doing that.

Firstly, your drinking water will not be contaminated. MountainTrue has had long conversations with aquatic weed experts at TVA. These people use herbicides to treat lakes with public drinking water supply intakes all over the region. Before the chemicals are applied in the vicinity of the intake, the water plant staff fill their reserve tanks and turn the intake off. After a period of hours - the amount of time is determined by many factors including the volume of water near the intake, the volume of herbicide applied, and the type of herbicide applied - they turn the intake back on and they monitor to be sure no herbicide is coming in. This routinely happens on other reservoirs and the weeds are controlled with no negative impact on the water supply.

Second, if we all come together and treat the whole infected area now, it will greatly diminish the amount of herbicide that will be routinely applied in future years and we'll know exactly what's being applied, when and where. Keep in mind that it is perfectly legal for individual property owners to hire companies to treat the weeds with herbicide right now with no permit required. I have no doubt that some landowners already applied herbicides this past summer. So, chemicals have already likely been applied to your drinking water lake. Again, no permits are required. If MountainTrue is not managing the treatment, no one will know what's being applied, when, by these companies at individual properties, including the water plant operators!

And last, but definitely not least, there are some terrible products out there that people can just buy and put in the lake! There is no way to police people going and buying horrible Aquacide pellets and just tossing them into the lake. There's no guarantee that they will even hire a certified commercial applicator. They may just take matters into their own hands. This is the main reason why MountainTrue is involved. I think if they have some level of confidence in MountainTrue and the team to take care of this problem, there is less likelihood of them "going rogue" and doing something that could kill fish and truly contaminate the water supply.

Q: Why isn’t TVA paying for this? A: TVA has stated that they are doing a study which will be completed in summer 2024, and that in any event they would only treat public areas such as boat ramps and beaches. Even if TVA did accept responsibility and agree to pay for treatment, it would be too late for us.

Q: Why isn’t Towns County paying for this? A: County Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw has said the county realizes something needs to be done, or the economy will suffer. But the County Attorney has told Commissioner Bradshaw that it would be illegal to use public funds for a private problem. He’s also said that this does not qualify as a County Emergency, which would allow the use of emergency funds.

Update: On January 30, Commissioner Bradshaw called a special County meeting, where he announced that Towns County will donate $100,000 to the cause, using the County portion of hotel-motel tax proceeds.

Q: Does that mean we will be fundraising for Parrot Feather treatment every year? A: It is our HOPE that county and state funding can be approved and budgeted for subsequent years. For 2024, we don’t feel like we can sit around and wait, which is why we need to act now.

Q: Is my donation tax deductible? A: Yes. Our partner in this process is Mountain True, a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to “Champion resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge.”

Q: How do I donate? A: There is a donate button on savelakechatuge.org and a QR code on FB group that links directly to the Mountain True Lake Chatuge PF project. You can also mail a check to Mountain True, 29 N Market St, Ste 610, Asheville NC 28801-designate Lake Chatuge PF project in memo line. (IMPORTANT: to ensure your online donation is applied to this project – use donate button on website page or through the QR code)

Q: What happens if we don’t raise enough money to pay for treatments in 2024? A: We are very encouraged by our fundraising success to date. But if we were unable to raise enough funds, yes, donors can request a refund at any point up until Mountain True signs a contract with the selected vendor, which is expected to be early March. We will post a running total of funds raised on our website Savelakechatuge.org, and our Facebook group SaveLakeChatuge.org, with the total funds raised updated at least weekly.

Q: I’ve talked to some folks who say they’re going to sit back and wait to see how things go before they donate. Should I do that too? A: That’s a strategy, but we’d ask you not to wait. If everyone sits back and waits, then nothing ever happens! Not just as it relates to Parrot Feather, but as it relates to everything in our lives. As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Let’s Save Lake Chatuge, together.

Q: Who is controlling the donation money? A: We have partnered with Mountain True West to handle donations, manage treatment payments, etc. They are a 501c3 non-profit and have been in operation for 40 years. Towns County has contracted with Mountain True to monitor water quality for a number of years.