Fall has barely begun and the Lakes Area community is already preparing for next year’s battle against the invasive curlyleaf pondweed. The weed caused navigational issues on the lake this past season as it clogged boat motors and jammed dock lifts. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, local government entities, area protective agency representatives and
An aquatic weed believed to be salvinia molesta, which grew only along the shoreline in January, has multiplied so fast it now covers the entire surface of the water at Lakewood residential community, Pemulwuy, Australia. The lake and its surrounds were home to an abundance of wildlife including ducks, pelicans and a pair of black
Center Lake and Clearwater Lake Association are trying to combat the starry stonewort with and aquatic weed harvester this summer. In an effort to use fewer chemicals in this Missouri lake, a weed harvester will be used on most of the lake to cut and remove the starry stonewort and the algae. Aquatic herbicides will
Trapa natans is native to Western Europe and Africa and northeast Asia, including eastern Russia, China, and southeast Asia to Indonesia. Trapa natans was first introduced to North America in the mid- to late-1870s, when it is known to have been introduced into the Cambridge botanical garden at Harvard University around 1877. A decade later
Lake managers might be hurting native aquatic plants – instead of helping them – when they use chemicals to control invasive plants on entire lakes. New research by Wisconsin DNR Lakes and River Team Leader Dr. Alison Mikulyuk shows native plant communities can struggle when chemicals are used to target invasive Eurasian watermilfoil. It appears
Kirksville City Council members voted to approve a resolution to allow weed harvest operations at Forest Lake in Thousand Hills State Park, Missouri, as the invasive curly leaf pond weed is not only negatively affecting recreation activities, but also impacts water quality and the drinking water treatment process. In 2018, the city entered into a
Spraying chemicals can be dangerous to the environment in many ways. But for Floridians, they can contribute to harmful algae blooms and damaging releases along the coast. There are other ways to remove invasive plant species that may not require chemical spraying. James Douglass, an environmental scientist at Florida Gulf Coast University says the other
Carraízo reservoir in Puerto Rico has fallen victim to two of the world’s most invasive aquatic plants: water lettuce and water hyacinth. Often found together, the invasive plants grow at exponential rates, obstruct waterways, clog hydropower plants, and prevent sunlight from penetrating the water’s surface, reducing water quality. The Aqueduct and Sewer Authority began its
In July, the last known patches of Giant Salvinia, an invasive and aggressive aquatic plant at the Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi, were eliminated. The vegetation was treated with multiple chemicals and then removed, but after six months of Giant Salvinia being absent from the lake, the cleanup team discovered the unwelcomed guest. Apparently a stray
The Okanagan Basin Water Board milfoil program has been so successful over the past five decades. Aquatic weed harvesters used in significant areas with milfoil infestation on Okanagan Lake, British Columbia, Canada are now clear of the invasive plant. Meanwhile, the water board continues to work with the province and environmental consultants to expand existing