Aquatic invasive species are non-native plants and animals that disrupt ecosystems, harm wildlife, and impact recreation. Learn how they spread, the problems they cause, and safe methods for control and management.
Chautauqua Lake Association in New York performed a study focused on weed harvesting. People believe that the harvesting operation loses a lot of plant material and critics of mechanical harvesting say crews don’t collect enough of the plant material that they cut, leaving behind floaters. After operating the weed harvester, reliable data collected shows that
Conservation officials hope that a new herbicide treatment being considered for use in Cocasset Lake in Massachusetts this season may prove an antidote to a mushrooming vegetation problem afflicting local lakes and ponds. ProcellaCOR was recommended for use in Cocasset Lake by Joseph Onorato, an aquatic specialist with Water & Wetland LLC of Upton, which
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) is using an aquatic herbicide at two points along Lake George in New York State. At both sites, the problem is growth of Eurasian Watermilfoil, an invasive plant species that grows quickly in water bodies it’s tracked into. The APA conducted monitoring and said the herbicide eliminated all traces of
Heidi Bunk, a water resources management specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said while the long-term effectiveness of hand pulling the invasive species starry stonewort is still being evaluated, it can be advantageous because it allows for the removal of starry stonewort without harming native species in the way chemical treatments might. She
West Coast beachcombers have treasured the rare sightings of Japanese glass floats; spherical buoys strung together to aid fishermen in managing their catch. It was once thought that these translucent orbs took nearly a decade to reach the U.S.–traveling up to 8,000 miles of open sea. But in 2011, 5 million tons of debris was
New research has found that hurricanes in the United States are dispersing invasive species across the country. Fueled by climate change, hurricanes are becoming more frequent and intense, research shows; as a result, extreme storms are carrying and scattering hundreds of invasive species such as Asian swamp eels and zebra mussels into new regions of
Water hyacinth has been on the Delta for decades, but really exploded in 2011 and 2012 as officials were not able to obtain a permit to spray chemicals in a timely fashion. Efforts to control hyacinth in the Deltas focuses primarily on the use of chemical herbicide applications. Officials aggressively spray chemicals; a prepared document
Water hyacinth has been the scourge of the Delta in recent years, but by this summer it could be providing the power to city lights. A pilot project is in the works to harvest it for biogas. Port of Stockton Environmental Manager Jeff Wingfield says the port is proposing a pilot project to harvest the
Nyamitanga Division Chairperson Moses Karanzi Kajubi says the move to manually remove the water weed should be supported instead of being criticized. He says that they intend to do the cleaning of the river at least once a month, by pulling the water weed out of the water and cut it into pieces so that
A highly invasive aquatic weed has been discovered in a number of ponds in the Animas Valley in Colorado, putting the heat on to eradicate it before it enters the Animas River and, potentially, Lake Nighthorse. The invasive weed aggressively outgrows and outcompetes native aquatic plants. It can then clog irrigation systems and ponds, and