That connection does not stop on land. It continues below the surface of our lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Aquatic plants play a critical role in maintaining water quality and supporting life. They produce oxygen, stabilize sediments, absorb nutrients, and provide essential habitat for fish, waterfowl, and invertebrates. In many ways, they are the foundation of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Without them, water bodies can quickly lose balance.

However, like any natural system, balance is key. Too little vegetation can lead to erosion, poor habitat, and declining water quality. Too much growth can restrict water flow, limit recreation, and contribute to issues like low oxygen levels and algae blooms as plants die and decompose. Excess nutrients from runoff, changing weather patterns, and other environmental pressures can all shift that balance in the wrong direction.

Managing aquatic plants is not about removing them entirely. It is about maintaining a healthy, functional system. Mechanical harvesting and targeted removal can control excessive growth while preserving beneficial vegetation. Aquarius Systems has worked with lake managers, municipalities, and contractors to remove overgrowth in a way that improves water flow, supports recreation, and helps maintain overall water quality.

Healthy aquatic plant communities lead to clearer water, stronger ecosystems, and better recreational opportunities. Whether you are managing a lake, river, or pond, understanding the role of aquatic plants is an important step toward long term water health.

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Greenish growths on lakes, ponds and rivers are common across the U.S., typically blamed on excess nitrogen in runoff water carrying fertilizer from farmland. The problem in Prospect Park and Central Park is different: the artificial lakes and ponds, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, are filled with the same water that New Yorkers drink. The potassium-enriched tap water helps the scum flourish.  The mild winter and hot summer have exacerbated the problem this year.

Run off in Cape Coral canals comes from many places. It could be your street, your roof or your lawn. The recycled water used for irrigation is loaded with nitrogen and phosphorous which causes plants to thrive and contributes to algae outbreaks.

Last week Lee County Hyacinth Control cleared out about a miles worth of yellow pond lily from the Shelburne Canal in Cape Coral, Florida. Trapped inside that vegetation, was the equivalent of 10 pounds of fertilizer.

The barges wield rotating cutting bars like those on farm combines to cut a submerged crop that is fertilized too well by runoff of nutrients like dairy manure.

Each spring, the county launches a flotilla of 10 paddle-propelled aquatic mowers to cut and remove thousands of tons of soggy vegetation to improve navigation and reduce flood risk.

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Government and independent scientists believe nutrient runoff is the main cause of the dead zone.  Pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus flow into the gulf of Mexico by way of the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

For many, the ethanol industry and the government’s 2005 Renewable Fuel Standard carry a lot of the blame.  Since the governments introduction of the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005, acreage of U.S. land to farm corn and soy beans has grown by 16.8 million and over 1.2 million acres of grassland has been lost.

Flooding in 2015 and earlier this year washed away tremendous amounts of pollutants that had accumulated on land during the prolonged drought. The sources of much of these nutrients were cornfields, 40% of which are dedicated to producing ethanol, which fuel companies are compelled by Congress to blend with gasoline.

NOAA officials estimate the Dead Zone costs the nation’s seafood and tourism industries $82 million a year. And it likely will get worse, scientists believe. The gulf produces about 40 percent of the nation’s seafood, which includes offshore species such as shrimp and red snapper. And Louisiana is second in seafood production to Alaska, according to The Nature Conservancy.

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The Stickney Water Reclamation is the biggest single source of phosphorus in the entire region that drains into the Mississippi River. Combined with other sewage plant releases a state task force concluded that these plants are responsible for about half of the phosphorus pollution in rivers that drain into the Mississippi.

The need for more aggressive and widespread action is especially acute in Illinois, which by most estimates is the largest contributor of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution to the Gulf of Mexico.

A new $31 million project will help to reduce that pollution by diverting wastewater through three reactors that use catalysts to form tiny, nutrient-rich “pearls” for the fertilizer industry. The district estimates the equipment will produce up to 10,000 tons of slow-release fertilizer a year and reduce the Stickney plant’s phosphorus discharges by about 30 percent.

More still needs to be done, but this project is a good start.

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Studies have estimated that 90% of nitrate in groundwater comes from spreading of synthetic fertilizers and dairy manure on farm fields, with most of the remainder from septic systems.

Nitrate behaves differently. Relatively little lingers near roots where it can be absorbed. Water washes it down into shallow groundwater that is the source of drinking water for one-quarter of Wisconsin residents.

Legumes and alfalfa, take up nitrogen before it can reach groundwater, but are not as profitable as corn. When prices rise for corn, which requires heavy applications of nitrogen-based fertilizer, farmers quickly convert acreage and boost spreading. Wisconsin farmers applied over 200 million pounds of nitrogen in excess of UW-Extension recommendations.

Not only does the fertilizer create toxic drinking water, but the phosphorus in fertilizer and manure contributes to abnormal algae growth in lakes and streams when it runs off the land with rain and snowmelt.

Drinking water contaminated with more than 10 milligrams per liter of nitrate poses acute risks to infants and women who are pregnant, a possible risk to fetuses in early stages of pregnancy, and a longer-term risk of serious disease in adults.

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It is just amazing to watch the birds run from crumb to crumb trying to get as much as they can. I smile. There is something captivating about feeding wildlife.

Of course, until now I had not realized the harm I may actually be causing. Those “wild” ducks shouldn’t be following me around; that is unnatural behavior – they should fear me. The food I am tossing to them is low in protein and are very poor substitutes for natural foods such as aquatic plants, natural grains, and invertebrates.

This artificial feeding causes inbreeding, delayed migration, overcrowding, disease, deformity and water pollution. Some parks maintain a strict “no feeding” area to watch the birds while some places still offer such an activity. The key to feeding the ducks properly is to provide food that is nutritious to waterfowl such as special duck pellets or seedless grapes cut in half, shredded kale, Swiss chard or romaine lettuce, and grains, including wheat, barley and oats. These are all healthy food sources that will appeal to most waterfowl.

Of course it is not just about the birds. Water pollution is a big issue in regards to feeding the ducks. Decomposing bread creates bacteria and attracts vermin, especially rats, whose urine transmits Weil’s disease, which can be deadly to people. Rotting bread exacerbates naturally occurring surface algae – which can give off toxins damaging to fish populations and create a stench for humans – by releasing more nitrates and phosphates. It also denies sunlight to underwater plants. And the bread eaten by birds creates more feces, which has the same effect.

Feeding birds is something that people have done for generations, but now, there needs to be more concern about doing it to protect the birds and the environment.

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