Tom Howes explained in Anishinaabe, then in English, why restoring wild rice to the St. Louis River in Minnesota is so important to the Fond du Lac people. It’s here, along the 26-mile estuary upstream of Lake Superior, that his ancestors settled after a long journey from the east. They chose the river because of
Indian Kashmir used to be a place people compared to mythical Shangri-La–verdant and unspoiled. And Nigeen Lake, in a green valley surrounded by the Himalayas, is considered by waterways officials to be the least polluted waterway in the city of Srinagar (population 1.3 million). Nigeen is important for tourism, recreation, and the city’s image, but
The annual weed pull calling volunteers to Bare Hill Pond in Harvard, Massachusetts; to yank invading water chestnut weeds from the pond’s depths wasn’t held this year. Why? Volunteer Rick Dickson said, “because we finally don’t need it.” The plant is injurious with its four-headed needle-sharp seeds typically making it to shore and cutting the
According to a recent survey, more than 200 acres of the lower third of the Connecticut River is overgrown with hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant that, according to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, is among the most difficult to control. The hydrilla in the Connecticut River is a new genotype not found in Asia, Europe
Every year, about 8-million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans, which is equal to five bags filled with plastic going along every foot of coastline in the world, according to Plastic Oceans, a non-profit organization. By 2025, they estimate the annual input will be about twice that. But how exactly is so much
The Cazenovia Lake Association in coordination with the town, New York Department of Environmental Conservation and other entities is continually looking for methods to control the spread of the invasive Eurasian Milfoil weed. The two methods that are currently employed are the use of a weed harvester and the use of an herbicide. The control
A mechanical milfoil harvesting machine has seen steady work on Black Lake in New York this summer, according to one of the owners of the apparatus. Black Lake resident Bob Gordon said he purchased the equipment along with fellow businessman Jay Carter and has been contracting with local waterfront property owners to help pull up
Schroon Lake in New York is infested with curly leaf pondweed and milfoil, two invasive species. But lake advocates and state and local officials are working to keep other aquatic invasives out through a new boat washing station in Severance. Partners are working to keep Schroon Lake free of invasive species, though the lake is
Chautauqua Lake Association officials report removing more than 13.3 million pounds of aquatic vegetation from Chautauqua Lake (Chautauqua, New York) this summer. Overall, CLA officials said in a news release that the condition of the lake was wonderful this year. Average weed growth in most areas had exceptional clarity compared to past years. The CLA
State environmental officials have rejected a plan to use a powerful chemical herbicide to control an invasive water weed in Lake Iroquois in Chittenden County, saying the potential environmental damage did not justify its use. The proposal was rejected because it did not sufficiently consider non-chemical alternatives and could damage native plants along the lakeshore.