The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District issued the following statement.
The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District Board of Directors gave its approval Thursday to begin refilling Barnett Reservoir to normal operating levels as part of its plan to battle Giant Salvinia in Pelahatchie Bay.
Acting on a recommendation by the PRVWSD’s Salvinia task group, the Board agreed to two modifications in its four-part action plan put in place in October 2018. In addition to starting the lake back toward the preferred level of 297.5 feet above sea level, more areas of the Bay will soon be open to boaters.
Two other key parts of the emergency plan remain in place: Boating between the main lake and the bay remains closed under the Northshore Causeway bridge, and tournament fishing of any kind is still banned in Pelahatchie Bay.
The timing of the change to raise the level was fortunate, coinciding with the season’s first heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall in the area on Tuesday has produced a 1½-foot rise to 296.97 by noon on Thursday as reservoir officials held water to minimize downstream impacts.
Reservoir General Manager John Sigman said the change was based strictly on the recommendations of aquatic vegetation specialists on the task group.
“They have told us that it is time to put water back in the lake and on the Giant Salvinia to access the status of the plant,” Sigman said. “We have been holding the lake low for a year, and in doing so we have had a significant impact on the Salvinia to the point of the experts not being able to locate any live Salvinia. They feel that putting water back in the area is critical now in assessing the status of the plant. If there is any living Salvinia, it will expose itself when put back in its natural habitat.”
According to a report from the last task group meeting Oct. 4, the plan is to bring the pool back to 297.5 and then assess the plant for an undetermined period to see if it reappears.
