FWC starts a 31-acre tussock harvest on Lake Weir; Little Lake Weir access is shut

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission started pulling floating tussock off Lake Weir on Sept. 25, 2026. The harvest is about 31 acres in Marion County. FWC says the work should open habitat for native plants and make the water near the Weir Canal easier to run. While the crew is on the lake, access to Little Lake Weir is closed.

Floating tussocks are mats that show up after a drought. Plants that grew on the exposed bottom break free when the water comes back up. Those mats can tear at the bottom, shade out native submerged plants, and block boats. Harvested material is coming off the lake and onto nearby Marion County upland. Biologists plan to watch how the plant community changes over the next two years.

The work zone is north of Bird Island and west of the Carney Island peninsula, at the Weir Canal entrance into Lake Weir. FWC’s finish target is Dec. 18, 2026, and Little Lake Weir access is supposed to return by that date or sooner. Danielle Kirkland, who leads the agency’s aquatic habitat restoration section, framed the job as better native cover for fish and wildlife plus clearer navigation. Marion County is partnering on the project. Check the lake status before you launch — this is a habitat project with a temporary access close, not a new bag limit.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: FWC — FWC to harvest tussock material on Lake Weir (Sept. 25, 2026).