Chick Grass

Chick68

New member
Anybody finding much new grass yet ? Since I have move up shallow with this warm water I have been dredging up a fair amount of NICE green stuff !! Looks like we could have a good Early crop this year . emoDance
 

cmiller

New member
I hope it is better that last year. It was the first year I had a boat for fall fishing in the grass. But no grass hardly. Very disappointed!!!
 

cmiller

New member
i understood in some areas it might have needed to get controlled but all over th lake was not necessary.
 

jb366

Member
I haven't seen any new grass this year but I haven't been super shallow just yet. I do know where a pretty good patch from last year is that is still alive but it's in 8 fow or so.
Maybe we won't have that magical weather difference this year between above and below the 60 bridge that snuffed all the grass below it and left everything above it
 

Tn bullet

New member
I agree Jonathon that was the craziest weather below 60 with the Tennessee rice ha I g different current only on chickamauga and only below 60 bridge and clarity of the water was only different between 60 bridge and the dam! CGSB60 “chickamauga grass spring below 60”
 
Guys, TVA did not kill all the grass last year below the Hwy 60 bridge like most people like to believe. It is, in fact due to the weather we had last spring. The Hiwassee River is where most of your muddy water below the 60 bridge comes from. The Tennessee River above the Hiwassee River doesn't get near the dirty water as it does below the bridge. The aquatic vegetation has to have light penetration through the water in order to be able to grow, after all the rain we had last year around the end of April to the first of May lead to some really high nasty muddy water which also lead to the majority of the grass that was growing on the lower end of the lake to either die off or not grow in its normal cycle like years past. I have had this discussion with multiple people. For example, take a big sheet of plywood or a big piece of cardboard and lay it out in your front yard for about 2-3 weeks, when you go out and pick up the plywood or cardboard what do you find underneath? Thats right, the grass underneath it will be dead or dying compared to the rest of your yard. No different than muddy water in the lake not allowing the sunlight to help the grass grow. Just my .02.
 

Tn bullet

New member
Guntersville must be non plywood look at mud town and crow creek all shallow muddy water from spring to spring stairs stained more than chick they must have special grass like the beans jack bought! Hayden your knowledge is incredible but I will argue the grass die off with anyone the rains and water may slow it but you can’t be on green green grass and a week later it be totally gone
 

churly

New member
If you fellas can get proof TVA is responsible, we have a case and a fighting chance to get it stopped, trust me. Who has proof? Who has seen bigfoot riding a black panther ?
 
All these CFF marine biologist crack me up. TVA is not responsible for killing the grass. Period. Not a single one of you can prove it. Going to need some hard evidence to prove they are responsible. The companies that spray on Chickamauga are privately owned companies. I know a guy that works for the main one (Aqua Services) that sprays here. They are only allowed to spray around boat docks, ramps and communitiy areas such as swimming areas. They are NOT allowed to spray on the main river bars. Like Churly said, if anyone has evidence that TVA is responsible, we have a chance and a case to get it stopped. By the way Aqua Services spray all over different areas of Guntersville but there still seems to be plenty of grass? Guntersville has ALWAYS had more grass than Chickamauga to begin with.
 

churly

New member
TVA is a federally regulated energy monopoly. Their profits and losses as well as budgets are available for the public to access. TVA spent less money on vegetation control last year than they have the previous 5 years. When the grass exploded in the late 80s, we were in a 100 year drought that lasted years. The year before last (2016)was a record dry year and we had tons of grass( remember all the fires). Last year was one of the wettest, coolest summers on record. You don’t have to be Al Gore to look at the facts. Comparing guntersville and chickamauga is not an apples to apples comparison. Your talking about a lake that is probably triple the size of the Chick, with a higher mean annual temp, and no winter draw down. Chick has about an 8 ft. Draw down.
 

silvertalon

Active member
Anyone ever notice that nasty sulfur smell up river near 60 and into the Hiwassee? That's sulfur dioxide from fossil fuels. It can also leak into waterways from volcanic activity and industry. I remember a few years ago I saw on the news, there was a toxic sulfur dioxide leak up the Hiwassee near the I 75 bridge area and, it was fortunate there were no boaters or fishermen in the area at the time. When there is sulfur dioxide in the air (fumes), even at low to moderate levels, and it rains, you guessed it- Acid Rain. Which lowers the ph levels in the water and stunts plant growth. I have no evidence of this as a cause but it makes sense. I doubt that spraying localized areas with herbicide can flatten an entire lake like we saw last year. But, Add together other sources like zebra muscles, phosforous contamination from ferilizers, poultry and hog farms, herbicides and sulfur---Where is the TWRA on this. Haven't heard any input from them. Shouldn't someone be testing the water? I hope I'm wrong but, I think we're in for a long term issue!
 

churly

New member
silvertalon - 3/21/2018 10:17 PM

Anyone ever notice that nasty sulfur smell up river near 60 and into the Hiwassee? That's sulfur dioxide from fossil fuels. It can also leak into waterways from volcanic activity and industry. I remember a few years ago I saw on the news, there was a toxic sulfur dioxide leak up the Hiwassee near the I 75 bridge area and, it was fortunate there were no boaters or fishermen in the area at the time. When there is sulfur dioxide in the air (fumes), even at low to moderate levels, and it rains, you guessed it- Acid Rain. Which lowers the ph levels in the water and stunts plant growth. I have no evidence of this as a cause but it makes sense. I doubt that spraying localized areas with herbicide can flatten an entire lake like we saw last year. But, Add together other sources like zebra muscles, phosforous contamination from ferilizers, poultry and hog farms, herbicides and sulfur---Where is the TWRA on this. Haven't heard any input from them. Shouldn't someone be testing the water? I hope I'm wrong but, I think we're in for a long term issue!


Ding ding ding! The issue was from Hiwassee down. I do business with a few of the companies up there. Think about it, you have the Waker plant up there and they have had 2 explosion/ chemical releases in the past year. They shut I75 down and locked down the schools over it. Then you have the old Olin chemical plant that has had spills for years including one a couple months ago. It’s a combination of variables.

Remember , it’s okay to debate this stuff, but let’s focus on what we all have in common; the desire to have a healthy lake full of tons of giant fish. Lol
 

Tn bullet

New member
The. Let the grass grow Justin lol the only way this lake will hold up with all the pressure is allow the grass to grow I’ll bring some back from Guntersville next week to get it started again this year
 
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