Reprinted with permission from the Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer

PLM Lake and Land Management Corporation will begin hydrilla treatment on Lake Gaston June 1.
The company contracted with the Lake Gaston Weed Control Council to treat 794 acres of the Lake.

The treatment schedule is as follows: Beechwood Flats, Flats (I-85) and Poplar Creek (Joyceville) will post, June 1, July 6 and Aug. 3; Stillhouse Branch, Woodhaven/Moratuck Manor, Kings Branch, Timberline Shores and Pinewood/King Estates will post, June 2, July 7 and Aug. 4; Mistipines, Hamlin Creek, Sledge Creek, Woodland Hurst and Big Stonehouse West will post June 3, July 8 and Aug. 5.
PLM's Chuck Wiley said the treatment sites were chosen using the criteria used in the past. He said this year the Rematrix surveys obtained by the Weed Council was also utilized in choosing treatment sites.

“With these surveys, we have three years of accumulative data that shows the locations of biocover and hydrilla in conjunction with visual surveys I performed while treating the lake,” Wiley said.
Wiley said that because of the limited funds the Weed Council has this year treatment will be concentrated in areas of the lake that are shallow. “This saves money because the deeper the water, the more chemical we have to use to treat the hydrilla,” Wiley said. “It allows us to cover a larger area overall when we treat shallower areas. If you compare the cost of treatment between areas with an average depth of five feet and eight feet, you save about $20,000 per acre when you treat the shallower acreage.”

Wiley said a lot of factors came into play when treatment sites were chosen. He said flow of water was a very important factor. “Some areas of shoreline along the main lake don't allow for the chemical to remain in the area so the plants can draw it up because of the heavier flow,” Wiley said. “We chose areas in the coves where the flow was much lower. This allows the chemical to remain in the area and not be washed away. Our past experience has shown us that this is a more effective treatment method.
“This year, a lot of the areas we're treating have never been treated. We are finding heavy growth in some of the shallower areas with smaller acreage. Treating these shallower, smaller areas are allowing us to cover more areas of the Lake where the hydrilla is more dense.”

Wiley said in planning the treatment sites, he tried to take everyone's needs into consideration with the selection. “We wanted to make the best impact for the money spent.”
Wiley said lake residents can also be assured the grass carp are very active. He said the activity of the fishes in Hubquarter was tremendous. “While anyone is out on the lake they should watch for the grass carp activity,” Wiley said. “They'll see them splashing and rolling close to the shorelines and along the banks where hydrilla is now growing.”
Treatment maps can be viewed on the PML Lake and Land Management Corp. Web site at www.plmcorp.net. On the home page select “services,” then “Treatment and Irrigation Info,” “Atlantic Division,” then click on “Lake Gaston.” Selecting any particular listed site will allow the viewer to see the treatment site and boundaries.
For more information or specific questions about the treatment, residents may call Chuck Wiley at (866) 403-5259, extension 5002, or locally (252) 586-2900 and extension 5002.

Reprinted with permission from the South Hill Enterprise

The second drowning in a week on Lake Gaston was reported Thursday afternoon on Merrymount Road just north of the North Carolina line.
The body of Burton G. Parker, 65, was recovered from the lake at 2:53 p.m. by Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office Dive Team Deputy D. Arnold.

Parker had been reported missing earlier in the day, and deputies, after speaking to his wife, Jessie Hale, conducted an extensive land search of the residence and surrounding area, eventually deciding to call the dive team in to search the lake.
He was a retired data management consultant and an Army veteran.

Divers began diving at 2:47 p.m.
A 15-year-old male drowned in Lake Gaston in the Poplar Creek area on May 16, after allegedly attempting to swim between two docks. The Brunswick County Sheriff's office responded to that incident.