Aquatic Weeds Treatment Schedule

When the summer heat is on, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s aquatic plant management teams are out on the water surveying public access areas throughout the reservoir system.

TVA manages aquatic plants in developed public-access areas like boat ramps, swim beaches and courtesy piers on its reservoirs to ensure that everyone can enjoy them. We do our best to preserve aquatic plants’ positive qualities, like providing fish and wildlife habitat, while attempting to negate their negative impacts.

TVA staff prescribe and assign herbicides based on intensive surveying and monitoring. TVA contractors then apply herbicides at the TVA staff's direction in areas deemed needing management. Treatment typically begins June 1, with schedules posted on Thursday for the following week.

TVA contractor vessels are marked with “TVA Contractor” signs and have a flashing light to indicate when an application is taking place. Following treatment, TVA staff then resurvey and monitor each site. (Note: Management treatment schedules are contingent upon weather conditions.)