TPW announces return of B.A. Steinhagen to normal level

The return of B.A. Steinhagen to its normal lake level this summer may bring new opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Of course, with the lake nearing its 57th birthday, a ripe old age for a reservoir, it has not been without its health problems.

B.A. Steinhagen was lowered to the river level in 2006, to aide in the control of nuisance vegetation, and the drawdown was unexpectedly prolonged due to necessary repairs on the lake dam.

Soon after the lake was refilled, Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologists discovered an infestation of the invasive plant giant salvinia, while checking water quality for possible largemouth bass and catfish stocking. Giant salvinia is a floating, aquatic fern originating in South America. The plants were growing near the Cherokee North boat ramp off of State Highway 190. Within hours, efforts were made by Texas Parks and Wildlife habitat biologists to isolate the giant salvinia to the area with containment booms, and emergency chemical treatments were started.

The plant was possibly transported from Toledo Bend by a boat trailer, where it was found in 1998 and is now a problem in many areas of the reservoir. It is important to check your boat and trailer for any aquatic plants after loading or unloading your boat, and remove any plants you may find. It is also considered a Class C misdemeanor to posses or transport prohibited aquatic species.

Biologists plan to reopen the boat ramp when the infestation is under control. Lake access is still available at the state park, and boat ramps are open at Beech Grove Park, Sandy Creek, Camper's Cove, and Magnolia Ridge.

Despite the reservoir's problems, current habitat conditions may offer the potential for prime hunting and fishing this season. The shallow, marsh-like reservoir provides perfect habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. The abundance of aquatic plants growing in B.A. Steinhagen provides structure and food for fish, birds, alligators, and other animals. As time continues, we can expect more and more catfish, bass, crappie, and sunfish to move back into the reservoir from the Angelina and Neches Rivers. Currently, fishermen may be more successful fishing close to the river channel in the lake where oxygen levels are at their greatest.

It is hard not to notice a large amount of emergent vegetation now present throughout the lake. This vegetation includes alligatorweed, another exotic plant from Argentina, but is largely composed of smartweed. Control efforts are underway to manage the alligatorweed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Smartweed is a native aquatic that is an excellent food source for numerous species of birds and waterfowl. As most duck hunters know, "Find the food, and you'll find the ducks." Smartweed produces small, black seeds, which are a favorite food for birds and ducks such as mallards, pintails, and teal. The plant produces as many as 3,000 seeds per plant, and can provide a sustained food source to large populations of ducks for several months. And right now there are acres and acres of smartweed at Steinhagen. When the first cold front brings the ducks south, we can expect the ducks to stick around for a while.

With the current conditions at B.A. Steinhagen, duck hunting, fishing, bird watching, and wildlife viewing should be at their best this fall.