The Lake Gaston Association, in partnership with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, NC State Aquatic Plant Management Program, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Dominion Energy, NC B.A.S.S. and VA B.A.S.S. Conservation have developed a new 5-year Operational Habitat Enhancement Plan for Lake Gaston.(see the plan here)

 This is a commitment by all partners to continue habitat enhancement efforts on Lake Gaston.

 The objective is to improve physical habitat for sport fishes by diversifying and establishing self-sustaining native aquatic plant communities while helping to prevent the spread of nuisance aquatic plants. The plan includes establishing new re-vegetation sites, maintaining existing sites, and establishing new fish attractor sites. We hope to improve physical habitat for fish and wildlife while suppressing Hydrilla and Lyngbya growth by encouraging reestablishment of native plants in areas where they do not currently exist. 

There are currently 14 revegetation sites that include multiple planted areas. Aquatic vegetation has successfully expanded well outside these planted areas and will continue to thrive with continued cage maintenance and planting. Each year volunteers build new cages, repair cages and plant native aquatic vegetation. This year partners worked 531 hours on the project and have worked over 4,130 hours since 2015. While revegetation efforts take time and patience, this project has been a success because of the determination and hard work put in from the Lake Gaston community and its’ partners.