By Maurice Emery
Editor Emeritus

Brunswick County receives a bigger bang for their hydrilla buck than three of the five lake area counties. The county ranks second among all five counties for the money spent on treatment. Combining the 2006 season and the approved 2007 treatment seasons the county will realize $499,744 or 25% of all the dollars spent to control weeds. In 2006 the county received $216,512 or 28% of the weed money. If this year’s schedule treatment is completed the county will receive $238,232 or 19% of the treatment money.

Brunswick County is at the end of their budget process for their 2007-2008 fiscal year, which runs from July1, 2007 to June 30, 2008. As it stands now the county plans to be the first lake area county to go back to $40,000, which was the amount they gave in 2005.

If Brunswick approves the budget and only provides $40,000 for weed control it could lead to all the Lake area counties decreasing their contributions to $40,000. The present agreement is that no county has to contribute more than the lowest amount any county contributes.

The counties have always worked with the understanding that the weed council would not be restricted by any one counties contribution to determine how many areas are treated. In addressing the possibility of this happening the Lake Gaston Weed Control Council passed a motion last week that allows them to prorate counties weed treatment money based on the amount they pay.

The weed council is concerned that if Brunswick County does decrease their contributions other counties will follow and could lead to major cuts in the treatment monies provided each year. They would also have to deal with the problem that North Carolina money is a matching funds situation. For every dollar NC provides the weed council has to provide a matching dollar for weed control.

The council has spent years trying to get enough money to treat a sizable portion of the noxious weeds on the lake. Last years treatment combined with the insertion of grass carp led to 21% reduction in hydrilla. Last falls survey showed 3,108 surface acres of hydrilla; this is the lowest for the last several years.

There is no doubt that the weed control efforts would be hurt if Brunswick County did decrease their contribution. The area that would be impacted the most would be Pea Hill Creek. This is where most of Brunswick County lake area taxpayers live. If the county does not increase their contributions for next years under the new guidelines for prorating treating, it could lead to a 31% decrease in the number of acres treated. Thus, it could mean instead of treating 307 acres they would have 212 acres treated.

The following information was published for the Lake Gaston Weed Council by Professional Lake Management.