TVA rocks boat with each herbicide decision

TVA rocks boat with each herbicide decision

Like a boat trailer with bad wheel bearings, the controversy over aquatic vegetation keeps roaring. During the late 1980s, the drought years, aquatics spread with surprising speed and the dock owner/boater wheel roared the loudest.

TVA's use of aquatic herbicides increased. Then, beginning in 1990, with normal rainfall and water flows, milfoil began to decline. Slowly, the dock owner/boater wheel began to run smoothly and the fisherman wheel began to roar. TVA's use of herbicides began to decline.

That wheel spun off the axle last spring. Hundreds of fishermen filed through downtown Chattanooga in a mock funeral for the Tennessee River. Lawsuits were filed, along with claims that TVA's herbicides were poisoning the very waters the agency is charged to protect.

Now TVA's use of herbicides has stopped, at least temporarily. It's the constant ebb and flow of the tide. Once again, the experiments will occur only on public use areas and some commercial facilities.

Private dock owners have been cut off cold turkey, and they're not happy, especially those in Marion County who also were excluded from the recent TVA survey.

They were well-represented Monday night. Even 12-year-old Sarah Bible stood up bravely before a room filled with strangers, asking TVA to spray the milfoil around her dock so she could swim.

I don't think tax dollars should pay for it, but I believe a 12-year-old girl deserves the opportunity to swim off of her dock.

The environmental faction was well-represented. People who fear the herbicides are a public health hazard. They praised TVA for suspending the use of chemicals in the lake.

I think they deserve water untarnished by chemicals officially deemed potentially hazardous.

The boating interests, people whose spring to spur TVA's dramatic change of policy, were noticeably absent Monday night. Only one fisherman, Harold Sharp, spoke up and thanked TVA for heeding the strong wave of public opinion.

Wayne Poppe, TVA's point man for the new Aquatic Plant Management Program, said the new program is based public opinion, not scientific evidence.

Poppe says he is banking on every lake user to invest some "sweat equity" in the new program. He hopes land owners will help clear the weeds from around their docks. In 1995 a cost-sharing plan will be explored so TVA can help dock owners without using all public tax dollars to maintain private and commercial facilities.

Poppe doesn't stop there. He hopes fishermen will provide some muscle to put new fish habitat management plans into action.

But, will the fishermen, who were clearly motivated to halt the use of herbicides, suddenly disappear from sight now that they have what they want?

Tonight, Poppe will find the answer to that question. There's another meeting sponsored by the Chattanooga Bass Association at 7 p.m. at the Tennessee Aquarium Auditorium. Biologists from TVA and and TWRA will be on hand to discuss the Aquatic Action Plan and what fishermen can do to help.

Monday night there were some radical, even vicious personal attacks by those on opposite sides of the aquatic issue. I was ashamed to be on the same side as some who were the most vile and slanderous.

I think they deserve to make a living from well-managed natural resources. And the fishermen deserve the same — the best angling opportunities our lakes can offer.

But those fishermen, the men and women who roared loud enough last livelihood depends upon water recreation, also were represented.

I will strive to work cooperatively to achieve the goals we all deserve. I hope you will do the same.