NORTH
CAROLINA
Fisheries Research Fact Sheet
A Historical Overview of the Lake Gaston
Habitat Enhancement Project
July 2019
Lake Gaston is a 20,300-acre reservoir on the Ro¬
anoke River, located upstream of Roanoke Rapids
Lake and downstream of Kerr Lake on the Virgin¬
ia-North Carolina border (Figure 1). Lake Gaston
is owned and operated by Dominion Energy. It was
completed in 1963 and is used for hydropower pro¬
duction, flood control, water supply, and recreation.
The lake has a maximum depth of 95 feet and a
mean depth of 20 feet. Lake Gaston supports mul¬
tiple sportfish populations, with Largemouth Bass,
catfish, Striped Bass, and crappie being the most
targeted species by anglers during a 2007-2008
creel survey at Lake Gaston.
Aquatic vegetation is an important component of
productive fish and waterfowl habitats. Aquatic
macrophytes also serve to anchor bottom sediments,
stabilize underwater slopes, and remove suspend¬
ed particles and nutrients from overlying waters.
Invasive-exotic aquatic vegetation can displace
native vegetation and has a tendency to spread
quickly. Specifically, hydrilla (a federal and state
noxious weed) skyrocketed in Lake Gaston since
first appearing there in the 1 980s (Figure 2). Sur¬
veys conducted by North Carolina State University
in 1985 discovered 200 acres of Brazilian elodea
and 12 acres of hydrilla. Hydrilla infestations lead
to several undesirable events, including the loss of
municipal and recreational use of waters and habitat
alterations. Advanced infestations decrease the avail¬
able volume of water, inhibit recreational activities,
and have the potential to foul water withdrawal
intakes, along with outcompeting native vegetation.
Docks and boat slips can become unusable during
the summer and fall months when surrounded with
dense hydrilla growth (Figure 3).
The Lake Gaston Weed Control Council is the
primary governing body and is composed of three
members from each of the five lake counties. The
council was formed in December 1 985 to formulate
solutions to the Brazilian elodea problem in the
reservoir. Since that time drawdowns, herbicides,
and Grass Carp have been used to control invasive
vegetation, primarily hydrilla, at Lake Gaston.
The Weed Control Council created the Lake
Gaston Task Force in 1991 to provide technical
expertise and guidance in weed control. The Task
Force included members from Dominion Power,
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (Commis¬
sion), Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North
Carolina Division of Environmental Health,
North Carolina Division of Water Resources, and
North Carolina State University. This group has
since evolved into the Technical Advisory Group
(TAG), whose role is to meet at least once a year
and develop strategies for long term adaptive
management of aquatic vegetation at Lake Gaston.
Tie Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society (B.A.S.S.)
reacting to concerns of controlling hydrilla with
Grass Carp convened a meeting of stakeholders
in December 2004, known as the Stakeholders
Board. The Stakeholders Board is composed
of one voting member for each various interest
group (homeowners, anglers, boaters, tourism and
business councils, a power company, local, state,
and federal government agencies) . A key goal was
to develop and maintain a healthy lake ecosystem
based on a diverse plant community dominated
by native species. The TAG advises the Stakehold¬
ers Board who in turn advises the Weed Control
Council on how limited funds should be spent for
managing vegetation in Lake Gaston.
A winter drawdown was conducted in
1987-1988 and was successful at controlling
Brazilian elodea, yet had stimulatory effects on
hydrilla tuber sprouting and likely contributed
to a worsening of the hydrilla problem. Hydrilla
infestations increased to 429 acres by 1991, and
to over 3,000 acres from 1995 through 2006.
Triploid Grass Carp were first stocked into Lake
Gaston in 1995 and were stocked at relatively
low levels (approximately 8 to 1 5 fish per acre
of hydrilla) until 2011, when 18.5 fish per
acre were stocked (Figure 4). Grass Carp
stocking recommendations are based on
a cohort model developed by the Com¬
mission and adjusted to the stocking rate
per acre of hydrilla along with annual fish
mortality rates. Stockings have remained
at 18.5 fish/acre of hydrilla since 201 1 and
are based on fall surveys conducted by NC
State University and numerous volunteers.
Tiis survey is critical to monitor results and
plan for treatment options the following
year. The most recent survey in the fall of
20 1 8 showed hydrilla at less than 400 acres.
Complete eradication of aquatic vegeta¬
tion can increase shoreline erosion and
have serious negative impacts on f have
been established as founder colonies at
numerous sites throughout the lake. Sub¬
mersed plants needing protection from
herbivores, such as eelgrass and pondweed,
were planted within fenced exclosures at
many of the sites (Figure 5).
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Inland Fisheries Division
ncwildlife.org
