What are Aquatic Non-Native Species?
If you have resided at Smith Mountain Lake during the past several years, you may have heard the term “aquatic non-native species”. This term simply means that the aquatic species is not native to this area. In other words, it was most likely introduced by human interference. The terms “invasive” or “nuisance” are often used to further describe a non-native species. Nuisance species are just what their name implies – they may become a nuisance to any property owner that must tolerate it. On the other hand, aggressive non-native aquatic vegetation is more serious. It tends to spread rapidly and often destroy native species already in the location. A well-known aquatic invasive vegetation, Hydrilla, was identified in SML for the first time during 2007.
