Beavers, Bass, + Boats - Aquatic Vegetation: Ecological Actors in a Play of Public Perception
Unlike other reservoirs on the Tennessee River’s main stem, the topography, climate, and hydrology of Lake Guntersville create opportunities for the prolific growth of native and invasive exotic aquatic plants. The ecosystem services offered by these aquatic plants, as well as the challenges they pose to boaters and TVA facility operators, create a unique tension that is engaged by this project proposal.
Beavers, Bass, and Boats examines these charismatic actors as unique resources on Lake Guntersville and proposes strategies through which the behaviors, habitats, infrastructures, and relationships between them can be leveraged for the integrated management of aquatic plants to establish healthy fisheries, stable shorelines, and diverse opportunities for on-water recreation and sport.
UT River Studio 2021
Location: Guntersville, AL
Students: Georgia Morris, Katherine Hill, Alexis Fielder
Faculty Advisors: Brad Collett, Pippa Brashear
