Radium Springs turning blue again with removal of water weeds

ALBANY — The nine-headed hydra of Greek mythology grew stronger when attacked by growing back two heads each time one was cut off.

Most states in the country are battling a similar beast, an aquatic plant that spreads when pieces break off. It’s name? Hydrilla, a nod to the mythical creature.

“The worst part of hydrilla is every time you cut a piece off it, that piece can grow and make another plant,” Juston Stone, owner of Stone’s Aquatic Weed & Algae Removal, said. “People wonder why it grows so fast in a pond or a lake. Every time a boat goes through it, pieces come off.”

The Valdosta-based company is currently working on a major project in Dougherty County, removing hydrilla in the blue hole at Radium Springs and will eventually clear invasive plants along the one-mile course of Clearwater Creek to the Flint River.

The county has performed a series of renovations and additions in the park area. While the historic casino was torn down after it was damaged by two floods and a fire, the gazebo and ticket booth have been restored

Radium is a popular destination for both local residents and out-of-town visitors, and county officials envision bringing back water-related recreational activities such as swimming and canoeing.

About 90 percent of the blue hole itself has been cleared of the plant life, Stone said, adding the difference is stark. The growth not only hid the beauty of the blue water, he added, but would have posed a risk of ensnaring swimmers.

“I have probably gotten over 2,500 messages on Facebook, people sharing childhood memories and how it brings them back and how they can’t wait to swim in it,” he said of the response to photos on his social media site of the restored spring area. “One of the great things of doing this is bringing back peoples’ memories and getting things back to where they used to be.”

Stone’s business takes him to very small springs and ponds on private property for removal of aquatic plants, but as the largest natural spring in the state, Radium Springs falls on the opposite end of that spectrum.

The county recently received approval to go forward with the plant-removal project after the Georgia Department of Natural Resources OK’d a lease agreement on 14 properties, the largest being the 84 acres that include the blue hole, creek and historic Spring Run bridge.

Completing the $20,000 project will take nearly another month as it will require removing trees that have fallen into the creek over the years as well as other invasive plants.

“I flew it several times with my drone because I couldn’t get the boat down because of the hydrilla,” Stone said.

So far about 1,000 tons of hydrilla, based on the wet weight, have been removed. As much as possible, the plant is cut off at the root and silt and sediment will be removed to take out seeds and pieces of the plant.

Farther downstream from the spring itself, there is another formidable foe, about an acre of water hyacinth. That water weed can sink deep below the surface with another two feet on top that grows so thick it traps sediment flowing downstream, Stone said.

“The root system can be 4 feet deep under the water,” he said.

Once that is cleared and the hydrilla is removed and allowed to flow into the river, it’s the end of the line for the plant. It can’t survive in the dark river water and swift flow of the Flint River, Stone said.

Once the invasive plants are removed, the county will need to initiate a program to keep them out. There is a risk of spread, not only from any remaining hydrilla but from it being introduced through boats that have been used in ponds where there is hydrilla that can hitchhike to other locations.

Birds also can carry the plant from one body of water to another, Stone said.

The county’s plans envision the potential for swimming and canoeing at the site. The Dougherty County Commission will take bids on future maintenance to keep the plants out.

Still, the work done so far is impressive, Commissioner Anthony Jones said.

“It’s turning blue,” he said of the spring water. “They’re getting that stuff out of there. It looks good.

“You’ve got to get this cleaned out so we can make some decisions about what we’re going to do with the recreation down there.”

Staff Photo: Carlton FletcherStaff Photo: Carlton Fletcher