by Becky McGraw-Wall, PWL Member
Unexpected high lake levels precluded 2 scheduled water willow plantings this spring and summer, but the work goes on. With the help of Piney Wood Lakes and Heartwood Texas Master Naturalists, students at local schools, and volunteer prisoners at the Ellis Unit in Huntsville, the Friends of Lake Livingston project continues its conservation efforts to reduce shoreline erosion and restore the aquatic habitat in Lake Livingston.
Water willows plantings improve the health of the lake by reducing sedimentation, filtering and improving water quality, and reducing opportunities for invasive plant species to take root. The result is improved habitat for the fish, birds and macroinvertebrates that call Lake Livingston home, in addition to enhancing the longevity of the lake for human use and enjoyment.
Grow tanks for the willows are located at 7 different schools across Polk and San Jacinto counties. Difficulties in maintaining these over the summer when schools are not in session prompted FOLL to harness the help of the Texas Department of Corrections. The involvement of the prison system allowed the program to expand, adding additional tanks and year-round volunteers to the program. Using the water willow tanks at the Ellis unit, volunteers have significantly increased the number of successful plant propagations and reduced the overall cost per plant. At any given time, twelve prisoners are involved with propagating and growing water willows for the project, under the supervision of a horticulturalist.
Recently, water willow seedlings were transported from the Ellis unit to be stored in grow tanks at Livingston, Coldspring and Onalaska High Schools, Livingston Junior High, and Creekside Elementary. Students involved in the project will help maintain and propagate willows in the grow tanks until the proposed planting date, which is tentatively scheduled for October 1. Weather and lake water levels can affect planting times. These plants require placement in approximately 6 inches of water in an area protected from wave action and hungry deer. It is anticipated that close to 2000 willows will be planted along the shoreline on the north shore of Lake Livingston, with a future planting projected for the spring of 2026.