After months of battling giant salvinia in the reservoir, the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD) board voted to lift the boating ban in Pelahatchie Bay beginning May 14.
The board outlined several rules and regulations to ensure that the trace amounts of salvinia will not be spread.
Booms will block off restricted areas. Watercrafts of any type are prohibited from entering those areas.
The Northshore Causeway bridge will remain closed for boating to prevent the spread of salvinia to the rest of the lake.
Leaseholders with waterfront access with a watercraft either on a lift, in a boat house or tied to a dock will be able to boat from their docking point and return with unrestricted time.
All other watercrafts must exit Pelahatchie Shore Park and be inspected before leaving the bay.
Hours for public access to Pelahatchie Shore boat ramp and kayak launch will be between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Officials will be checking all watercrafts exiting Pelahatchie Bay and will require use of the boat cleaning station both upon entering and leaving the water if vegetation is found.
Pelahatchie Bay leaseholders with boats in the water or on lifts who wish to remove their boats from the water must use the Pelahatchie Shore Park ramp and clear the inspection process.
The lake level will be maintained at 296.1. This will keep the salvinia “drying and dying,” according to Bobby Cleveland, PRVWSD spokesman.
No tournament fishing will be allowed in the bay until further notice.
Any violation of these rules is a misdemeanor and is punishable with a fine or no more than $100 and court fees.
While most of the giant salvinia has been eradicated, Pelahatchie Bay still has traces of the aggressive aquatic plant.
More than $150,000 has been spent on efforts to remove the giant salvinia, including booms to prevent the plant from transferring to other areas of the lake, spraying, flame throwers and more.
The late spring and early summer heat could help finish killing the plant since it is exposed and out of the water.
“If we can bake it, we can kill it. We’re really close,” Cleveland said.
Only two to three percent of the plant remains, Cleveland said. The first boat cleaning station has been installed at Pelahatchie Shore Park.
Officials are working on a campaign encouraging all boaters to “clean, drain and dry” their boats upon leaving the water each time.
The other boat cleaning station could be located at the boat ramp off Highway 43.
Cleveland also encourages boaters and fishermen to inspect their boats and trailers closely to prevent the spread of giant salvinia.
Vegetation can sometimes get caught between the trailer and the boat and in other hard to see areas. He said since there are many places on a trailer where vegetation can get stuck, boaters should remove any plants they see and wash with soap and warm water.
That is the most effective way to remove all vegetation, as one small piece of a plant could cause it to spread.
Giant salvinia could live up to a week outside of the water and even longer than that on a moist surface, such as in a boat’s bilge or on the carpeted bunk board of a trailer, according to PRVWSD.
It is most commonly spread by boaters, so the cleaning stations could help prevent the problem in the future.
Conditions will be reassessed each month, and modifications to ramp use, hours and restricted areas will be considered.
