The use of chemical herbicides to control invasive aquatic vegetation in Florida’s Lake Okeechobee is raising questions about potential impacts on drinking water. The lake serves as the primary drinking water source for customers of the Okeechobee Utility Authority, yet herbicides are routinely applied to manage invasive plants. According to a Lake Okeechobee News investigation,
More than 100 tonnes (approximately 110 U.S. tons, or about 220,000 pounds)of invasive Frogbit have been removed from properties around Anna Bay in New South Wales, Australia, following the discovery of the first known infestation in the Port Stephens region. Frogbit is a prohibited aquatic weed in New South Wales because of its ability to
Eurasian watermilfoil is one of the most widespread and challenging aquatic invasive plants found in lakes and waterways across North America. This submerged aquatic plant grows rapidly, forming dense underwater stands and thick surface canopies that can interfere with boating, fishing, swimming, and other recreational activities. In many water bodies, invasive milfoil can also outcompete
Did you know some animals, like apes, use plants for healing? Humans have long observed these behaviors in the wild and adapted them into medicine. It is just one example of how connected plants, animals, and people really are. A healthy plant animal human chain can make the world a better, healthier place. But as
For over a decade, lakes across Northern Wisconsin have spent staggering sums of money attempting to control Eurasian water milfoil with herbicides. The Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission, formed in 2007 specifically to tackle this invasive species, is a case in point. Eurasian water milfoil grows aggressively, uprooting native vegetation, disrupting aquatic habitats,
Lake Killarney in northeast Tallahassee is undergoing its first major cleanup in decades, addressing years of overgrowth that made the waterway inaccessible for residents. Using a specialized aquatic weed harvester, over one million pounds of invasive vegetation were removed in just one week, with more progress to come. The cleanup effort aimed to improve water
The Friends of the White River in Wisconsin saw their 2013 weed harvest get off to a good start on Wednesday, June 26. The harvester and operators were on lease from the White River Flowage Lake Management District. The harvester, by the end of work on June 27, harvested an estimated 50,000 pounds of aquatic
The City of Chestermere, Canada, announced that they had harvested 210,675 kilograms of weeds from Chestermere Lake in 2023. “I know how important the water is to residents who live adjacent to it and all residents of Chestermere. Weed harvesting and weed control are an uppermost issue in most people’s minds,” interim CAO Pat Vincent