In North Reston, Lillypocalypse Now?

Ah, life is good in North Reston, where the grass is greener, the sky is bluer, the schools are named after astronauts, the golf courses are in no danger of being plowed under, etc., etc. But even in bucolic North Reston, there can be horrifying threats to our earth-toned way of life lurking right before our very eyes!

We're talking about the floating horror that is the common water lilly. And the RA's North Point Director, Mike Collins, wants to (maybe) do something about it.

"I've had many conversations on this subject with people who live around the lake," Collins said. "Some people dislike the aesthetics of the large patches, especially in the coves. Certainly, heavy concentrations can make boating or fishing difficult or impossible, so some people would like to see the lilies brought under control if not eliminated. Others love the lilies just as they are or don't think they are a problem that warrants expenditure staff time or money right now. "

The water lilly is one of Reston's verboten invasive species, but they can "provide good habitats for fish and can improve water quality." Or maybe "push out other species or create stagnant areas with low oxygen levels." We report, you decide.

The RA currently has no plans to treat the lillies, but one option would be to napalm treat the lake with a variety of herbicides -- either in a minimal way or by going Full Metal Jacket:

Full eradication (or close) with herbicide would cost around $5000 and will probably result in mats of decomposing lilies floating around the lake for a while.

Sounds pretty.

Meanwhile, Lake Newport also has the worst water quality of all of Reston's lakes, according to an annual survey (full report here, if you're into bar graphs measuring things like "conductivity"). We wouldn't use it to mix iced tea, but Lake Thoreau apparently has the best water quality.

You can take Mike Collins' survey on the water lilly scourge by following this link.