Pflugerville completes lake vegetation removal project

PFLUGERVILLE -- The City of Pflugerville has completed six weeks of unwanted vegetation removal at Lake Pflugerville, the City announced Thursday.

According to a release by the City, the process resulted in 250 boat loads and approximately 500 cubic yards of aquatic vegetation removed.

The City consulted with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department following an annual survey, and complied with TPWD regulations to remove the vegetation.

"Since the lake is the city's water supply, the city's number one priority is to remove overgrowth of pond weeds in the most environmentally-sensitive ways possible," Public Works Director James Wills said in a statement released by the City. "The vegetation, while good for the health of the lake itself, isn't so great for recreational lake users. Contractors cut and removed the lake vegetation starting near the beach and recreational areas of the lake first and were able to remove significant amounts of vegetation from Lake Pflugerville."

In the process, the vegetation was cut down approximately 2-5 feet from the surface of the lake. It will not be fully removed since it benefits fish and oxygen levels in the lake. The process helps keep swimmers and watercraft from coming into contact with the vegetation.