Aquatic Vegetation Management is an important element to consider when developing
a lake management program. If a body of water is overpopulated with nuisance
vegetation, it fails to produce enjoyment, and never becomes the recreational
resource it should be. Too many weeds make swimming and other recreational
pursuits impossible; and fishing.....well, all you wind up reeling in
is a headache.\
The first step in proper aquatic vegetation management is plant
identification. Knowing the plant is paramount when choosing a method
of control. Chemical, biological, and mechanical methods are all useful
when planning a control strategy for aquatic weeds.
Herbicidal ( chemical ) control is one of the most efficient tools for controlling
undesirable vegetation. Products approved by the E.P.A. can be applied
in such a way as to provide selectivity, which means controlling certain
species while leaving others. They may also be used to achieve total control
of the vegetation. Of course this doesn't mean eradication. Eradication,
which is very seldom desired, is usually not healthy for an aquatic ecosystem.
Generally speaking, herbicides are injected into the water column through
a spray system attached to an airboat.
Biological methods utilize living herbivorous organisms to control the
weeds. While the use of insects and pathogens is gaining wide spread acceptance,
certainly the most often used organism for aquatic weed control is the
grass carp ( White Amur ). This fish, which is a native of Russian and
Chinese Rivers, has been successfully used for weed control in the U.S.
for about four decades, and has proven to be an effective and inexpensive
method.
Mechanical
control usually means the use of cutters and harvesters. Basically, this
is equivalent to mowing the grass in you're yard. However, after the plants
are cut, they may be loaded on to a conveyer belt, which then deposits
the plant into a bin for later disposal or maceration. Macerated plant
parts are rendered non-viable and may be reintroduced into the water as
a nutrient source, if desired.
Fertilizing with associated liming is also used to effectively control aquatic vegetation. This technique
is discussed in greater detail on a linked page in this web site.
