I agree about getting a user group stakeholder association or whatever y'all want to call it formally organized and in sync about what you'd like to see done, before talking with APCO in any way.

Personally, I wouldn't want to see chemicals dumped in the water. They're only good for 3-4 years, I think, before the big return happens and then you have to do it again. Unless you do it every year. And although aquatic herbicides are "safe" and whatnot, WTF wants more chemicals in our water?

IMO figuring out some way to cut it with the mechanical harvesters would be the best presentation. Herbicides are easier -- just look at the Alabama DOT and what it does on road rights-of-way with spraying vs. mowing. But again, I don't think folks want herbicides used when alternatives may (big word, may) be better.

But the first thing to do is for y'all to meet, discuss (hopefully calmly), kick around ideas, not go to the extreme either way, and then be together when you talk with APCO or Gadsden or whomever. Probably would be good, if you got a group together, to get the state aquatic biologist from DCNR there to offer insight. APCO may have one, too.

And definitely flip and frog the coontail.

My family's 50yr old swimming hole on lay got chocked out by coontail this yr. Last weekend a few folks put their swim suits on and cleaned it out. No phone calls, no meetings, no herbicides, no problems.

Unless that cove was filled with mud and rock it's still navigable, it takes a whole bunch of thick mats to slow down a boat.

Our grass here has gotten out of control. There are so many sloughs that have been choked out by grass and some land owners have lost use. Some grass is good, but APCO needs to do some more control.

I fish Neely all the time but do not know of any area that is chocked off where you can't fish? What area has this much grass? I wish Neely had more grass (hydrila/milfoil) makes for great fishing.

Not good? Are you kidding? Having grass, any grass increases the fish population. Grass takes schools of deep water fish and puts them in a catchable range. Why do you think Guntersville has remained a wonderful fishery so long? SMH

Which sloughs are these?

Those are all really shallow if I am looking at the right ones like 1-2 feet at most in the back. They are going to fill with some sort of growth no matter what is done.

Is that hydrilla baler still working in Honeycomb? Drake I saw the results of CRAZY landowners on Conroe. While I agree they have the right to have areas around docks clear, but that wasn't enough. They filled Conroe with Asian Carp. They also sprayed at night with choppers. They weren't happy till there was no grass left. There was a big bass factory in and area known as THE JUNGLE on Livingston. It was a stump and standing timber area. What purpose does it serve to kill it in these type areas?