Water chestnuts are fast-growing invasive aquatic plants that choke waterways, damaging recreational opportunities and natural habitats. These plants displace native species, reduce biodiversity, hamper recreational uses and diminish the aesthetic value of bodies of water. They can negatively impact native vegetation and fish populations by forming large dense mats of vegetation on the water surface,
About 40 trailers full of vallisneria americana, or eelgrass, have been removed from a site on the river nearby the Hamburg Road bridge since Monday, and about another 30 truckloads will be removed by Friday, said Pat Hohl, township supervisor. A Professional Lake Management Inc. crew is using operator-run machinery to harvest, or chop, the