The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation will now offer two boat cleaning stations at Lake Waccamaw State Park in Columbus County to hinder the spread of hydrilla and other highly invasive aquatic species. The stations are the first of their kind in North Carolina and became operational this month.
The onsite boat cleaning locations allow boaters to remove most small invasive species, such as hydrilla, before and after they take their boat on Lake Waccamaw. This is expected to reduce the chance of invasion onto the lake from other bodies of water and to keep boats from carrying buds and spores from invasive plants elsewhere.
The waterless systems have various cleaning tools and shop vacs to collect debris and remaining water from boats. The debris is isolated at the stations and removed by a septic service. Power for the stations will be supplemented by solar panels.
The installation is part of a continued effort to eradicate hydrilla in the lake after it was discovered on 960 acres in fall 2012. Experts from state agencies, research institutions and non-governmental organizations formed a technical advisory committee and selected herbicide as a first step to treat the invasive weed. Herbicide treatment began in 2013 and continued annually until 2019, in addition to annual lake-wide vegetation surveys and monitoring. Hydrilla has not been detected since 2019, though reinfestation remains a concern.
“These state-of-the-art systems allow us to finally take a proactive step to reduce the spread of this invasive weed in our state’s bodies of water,” said Division of Parks and Recreation Interim Director Brian Strong. “By taking just a few minutes to clean their boats before and after deployment, visitors can help improve everything from overall water quality to the quantity and health of fish in our recreational waters,” he said.
Two boat cleaning stations are available: one at the state park’s boat ramp on the south side of the lake and the other at the NC Wildlife boat ramp on the northwest side of the lake. The NC Division of Parks and Recreation will be responsible for the maintenance of the stations.
Those interested in further information on these boat cleaning stations should call the park at (910) 646-4748.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 258,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers, and more — all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation, and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 22.7 million visitors annually.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the N.C. Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit ncdcr.gov.