Eurasian Milfoil, an Unwanted Threat to American Lakes

Eurasian milfoil is a sensitive looking plant that was once a everyday flora to find in fresh water aquariums.

All The Same, It did not stay there. Now it is considered an invasive species that threatens North American fresh water streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.

In its domestic Eurasian environment it is a relatively innocent flora (but still a bit of a pest) but here, out of its normal waters, it takes over and demolish ecosystems, clogs water intakes and power plants, and makes them unsuitable for recreational purposes.

A Number Of hypotheses are around that explain its introduction. One is that it caught a ride on the ballast of a ship coming from Europe or Asia. That is a good guess. When they tested ships leaving invaded water, 25 percent carried some milfoil with it. The other main possibility is it was introduced by people throwing away aquarium plants or packing material used to ship live worms.

The most dangerous thing about this flora is that it can adapt to live in about every kind of aquatic habitat in the Northern states. It can live in the cold of Washington State or the warmth of Florida. From pristine waters of the Rockies to the brackish waters of the salt marshes it can prosper. To make its life better, nothing seems to like eating it.

Once established it propagates rapidly in waters that range from two feet to up to 30 feet, matting just below the surface and clogging out the native vegetation. Some floras like millet are given little chance to grow, which causes problems because they are a food source for many and a home for small marine animals. This matted growth also causes difficulty for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the vast mats keep the wind from properly aerating the water and suffocating adult fish as well as helping spawn algae blooms which further exacerbate the problem.

These plants are problematic to individuals as well. Not only does milfoil decrease water quality but the mats make shoreline bathing impossible. Milfoil impedes fish breeding, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for boaters because it can become entangled on the engine, cause dangers for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the boatmen view.

Residential Districts and businesses are also put at a disadvantage because of this little water plant. Water intakes or over flows can get blocked leading to shortages in some places and flooding in others. Dams and electrical energy output can also be touched if the water plant mats get caught up in the dams.

Milfoil control has been difficult. Mostly poisonous substances are out of the question as they demolish the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Manual removing the plant isn’t fully productive because the bits that break off can form new plants somewhere else. For that reason the large automatic harvesters are only used in the worst cases and then only as a first step. Milfoil has been more successfully removed by vacuum dredging, which can pick up any broken pieces left behind. A weevil maybe the answer to the milfoil dilemma as it love to eat the water plant and is a natural way to fight the weed.

Milfoil is just one type of unwanted species that has outstayed its welcome; many other unwanted aquatic plants are still thriving across the nation. When plants or animals are inserted outside their natural surroundings, you can’t anticipate the implications.

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