DECATUR COUNTY, GA — Neighbors and fishermen in Decatur County are raising concerns about the amount of aquatic herbicides being used to clean docks and control invasive plants on Lake Seminole.
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Dock cleaning is handled by the Stewards of Lake Seminole, a non-profit organization working to preserve and enhance the lake. Part of that cleaning process includes using aquatic herbicides, which are designed to control invasive plants growing in the water.
But when that chemical is used in large dosages, some neighbors say it can impact the natural balance of the lake and the wildlife that depend on it.
Matt Baty, a local bass fisherman who has spent 29 years on the water, says he has noticed changes he believes could influence fish activity and the overall experience for those who visit the lake. Baty says the issue is not the cleaning itself, but how often and how much chemical is being used.
"Any place that we've ever seen grass treated with chemicals, just the outcome's never good. It messes the fishing up. We don't catch as many fish. The fish come up with sores. There's not enough habitat for the fish to live in," Baty said.
Baty fishes competitively, and his son fishes in high school tournaments. They spend almost every weekend on the water.
"This lake is very special to me. I've grown up and fished it for 29 years, fished competitively. My son fishes the high school tournaments and we fish just about every weekend, and I would hate to see anything bad happen to this lake. We cherish it," Baty said.
Steve Dickman, the president of Stewards of Lake Seminole, says the organization's work focuses on keeping docks clear and accessible for the public, managing invasive plants, and maintaining safe conditions around dock areas.
"We started Stewards of Lake Seminole after a meeting in 2021, where it was the same old everybody complaining and nobody doing anything. And we could see the lake going downhill, and we wanted to do something to change that for our children and our children's children," Dickman said.
The Stewards of Lake Seminole say, prior to chemicals being used, the process is approved by the Corps of Engineers, which focuses on maintaining the safety of the docks.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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