An Alabama lake that was closed to the public and partly drained to control an invasive species will reopen to anglers over the Memorial Day weekend.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has announced that the Washington County Public Fishing Lake, also known as J. Emmett Wood Lake, will partly reopen on Saturday, May 4, after being closed so that authorities could deal with a fast-growing invasive plant species known as giant salvinia.

The 84-acre lake is located west of Jackson, Ala., near the town of Millry. According to information provided by ADCNR it supports bream, channel catfish, crappie and largemouth bass, with a catch-and-release rule for the last.

The lake was closed last August after the discovery that it was contaminated by giant salvinia, an aquatic fern native to Brazil. According to ADCNR, the plant can double its coverage of an area in four days or less, forming thick floating mats that block sunlight and oxygen in the waters below, as well as interfering with outdoor recreation.

The plant has been causing problems in Alabama since 1999, and authorities say a particular problem is that it can be carried by boats trailered from one body of water to another. Battles with salvinia led the Mobile Area Water & Sewer System to announce in February that it was closing Big Creek Lake, which supplies Mobile’s drinking water, to anglers. That led to a political backlash and a plan to allow recreational fishing in the future via rental boats.

In the case of the Washington County lake, ADCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division lowered the level of the lake to dry out giant salvinia mats on the perimeter. “The drawdown lasted through the winter to ensure the exposed plants were destroyed,” ADCNR said in an announcement of the reopening. “Giant salvinia on the lake’s surface were also treated with aquatic herbicide. The presence of the plant may still remain in the lake but the water level drawdown allows WFF Fisheries Section staff to better control the rapid growth of the invasive plant.”

Starting Saturday, the lake will be open to fishing from the bank. “The lake’s boat ramp will remain closed until the water level increases enough to allow for the safe launching of boats,” said ADCNR. “Updates about the boat ramp will be posted on ADCNR’s website and social media.”

For maps and other information on the lake, visit www.outdooralabama.com.