“Grass Wars” At the Mill Pond 

 Florida Wildlife and Game Commission Releases 1000 Grass Carp into the Mill Pond

Those of us that grew up remember the pristine waters of Blue Springs and the Mill Pond before hydrilla and eel grass was inadvertently introduced in to the water system. The water was clear and easy to navigate. Now the hydrilla is so thick in places it is impossible to navigate a boat through it. Hydrilla is a very invasive aquatic plant that was introduced to lakes and rivers by people dumping aquarium plants in to the water, and by boaters launching with hydrilla from other lakes clinging to their trailers. Hydrilla has become the kudzu of the water. Over the past thirty years this plant has wreaked havoc on water systems throughout the U. S. If left unchecked, hydrilla will eventually overtake a lake and kill of most the fish.

I had a little time for some R & R this past Monday afternoon so I declared that a trip to the Mill Pond was in order. My plan was to kill a couple of birds with one stone. I figured the cool weather had killed back some of the hydrilla so I wanted to take the ole Sea King and Evinrude for a run. My 25 year old Evinrude is kind of like my 51 year old body. We both need to be run every so often just to keep all the parts in good working order.