FWC East Lake Toho project showing signs of success

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is two years into a multi-year habitat enhancement project on East Lake Tohopekaliga, and biologists are seeing signs of success from their efforts on aquatic plant management and restoration work.

FWC reported this week it is seeing positive results, with new fish spawning areas and native vegetation patches being created.

The East Lake Toho drawdown project has been ongoing since 2019 and FWC Bass, bluegill and redear sunfish are now using the recently restored areas for spawning, the state agency reported. Clusters of spawning beds can be found throughout the site where habitat enhancement work has been done. Native vegetation including pondweed, eelgrass, spikerush and water lily are growing naturally in areas of the restoration zone. 

In May and June of this year, the FWC planted 46,000 Kissimmee grass plants (Paspalidium geminatum) and 30,000 duck potato (Sagittaria lancifolia) plants to provide high-quality native habitat for fish and wildlife. They were planted on the northeast shore where dense, woody shrubs/trees and associated muck was mechanically scraped from the lake bottom in spring 2020 during the intial Drawdown and Habitat Enhancement project. 

As part of the continued restoration efforts, the FWC will manage approximately 130 acres of dense cattail on the north shore over the next several months. Throughout the lake, cattail will continue to be surveyed and managed to maintain desirable densities and promote aquatic plant diversity for fish and wildlife. 

This aquatic habitat restoration project is designed to enhance the diversity of the native plant community to provide quality habitat for fish and wildlife and improve access for recreational activities.

For more information about the FWC’s Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Restoration projects, visit MyFWC.com/AquaticHabitat.