Town of Hillsborough issued the following announcement on June 13.
Herbicide treatment for an infestation of an invasive aquatic plant in the Eno River will begin Friday, June 10, and continue through September.
The herbicide Sonar Genesis is being applied in a concentration well below limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency and is safe for humans, fish and wildlife. Property owners adjacent to the treated section of the river have been notified by the Eno River Hydrilla Management Task Force and cautioned regarding the use of river water for irrigation during treatment for the Asiatic plant hydrilla.
A study using the herbicide has shown a significant reduction of the plant without impacts to the rest of the ecosystem or to human health. Hydrilla grows rapidly, creating thick mats on the surfaces of lakes, rivers and other waterways and impeding recreational activities and the health of fish and wildlife in the area. Sixteen miles of the Eno River are being targeted, from Hillsborough to Roxboro Road/N.C. 501 in Orange and Durham counties.
Hydrilla was discovered in the Eno River watershed in the early 1990s in Lake Orange, which is upstream of Hillsborough. In 2009, biologists confirmed hydrilla in the town’s West Fork Eno Reservoir. The N.C. Division of Water Resources is managing hydrilla in both reservoirs, as it can clog intakes for supplying drinking water and irrigation.
The town is helping to fund the treatment in the Eno River, and Stormwater and Environmental Services Manager Terry Hackett is a member of the Eno River Hydrilla Management Task Force.
For more information, contact Hillsborough’s stormwater and environmental services manager by email or by phone at 919-296-9621.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Town of Hillsborough
