"Holding the line does not mean do nothing. It actually takes a lot of work to hold the line."
Lake Tarpon, the largest freshwater lake in the Tampa Bay area and home to some of the best bass fishing in the state, has long been plagued by outbreaks of invasive species and poor water quality.
For decades, water managers have treated the lake with expensive herbicides and mechanical harvesting of hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant that crowds out native species and clogs boat propellers. It was often a losing battle.
The aquatic weed even contributed to a fatal personal watercraft accident in 2000 when a man on a WaveRunner swerved to avoid a patch of hydrilla, throwing his passenger into the water where he drowned.
One year later, the district published an update to its surface water plan, citing an alarming decline in water quality.
When Southwest Florida Water Management District staff on Thursday unveiled the first surface water plan in more than two decades, water managers appeared much more optimistic.
Read more at the Tampa Bay Times