Chicot Lake drawdown to begin after holiday

VILLE PLATTE — The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will begin drawing down water at Chicot Lake after Labor Day in an effort to control hydrilla and other vegetation there.

The effort to keep the vegetation in check also will include herbicide applications and the introduction of sterile grass-eating carp, Wildlife and Fisheries biologist Jody David said.

He said the water level of the 1,642-acre lake near Ville Platte will be brought down about 2 feet and will be kept down through the winter.

The lake, which is the main feature of Chicot State Park, will remain open during the drawdown.

David said the drawdowns at Chicot Lake are expected to continue yearly for the near future in an ongoing program to keep aquatic weeds at manageable levels.

“We just don’t want the hydrilla to take off on us,” he said.