PFLUGERVILLE — Pflugerville city officials want to reassure people it’s still safe to swim in Lake Pflugerville after a man drowned last week.
There has been speculation that hydrilla -- an invasive plant species found in Lake Pflugerville -- may have caused the man to drown.
"I have no knowledge to substantiate that rumor at all,” said Interim City Manager Trey Fletcher. "The hydrilla, it can be a little unnerving if you don't know it's there. But it's not going to cause any harm,” Fletcher reassured.
City officials want swimmers to know they are managing the hydrilla, which was first discovered in Lake Pflugerville in 2009.
However, it is allowed to grow in the lake.
"This is our water supply lake. It is a manmade reservoir, but we have our raw water here that goes into our treatment process. So, there is a water quality benefit to having the hydrilla here through filtration,” Fletcher explained.
The city has dumped nearly 1,000 Asian Grass Carp into the lake to manage the hydrilla since 2011.
The fish eat the hydrilla, but the city doesn’t want to upset the water ecosystem like what happened in Lake Austin after too many grass carp were dropped into the water.
Pflugerville officials also mow the hydrilla down in the designated swimming areas, according to Fletcher. They want people to feel safe swimming in Lake Pflugerville, especially for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.