Milfoil, an Unwanted Threat to American Ponds

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

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

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

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

The most hazardous thing about this flora is that it can adapt to live in nearly every kind of marine habitat in the Northern states. It can live in the cold of Washington State or the warmth of Florida. From fresh waters of the Rockies to the salty waters of the salt marshes it can flourish. To make its life easier, nothing seems to like eating it.

Once established it spreads fast in waters that range from 2 feet to up to thirty feet, matting just below the surface and choking 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 creatures. This matted growth also causes difficulty for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the huge mats keep the wind from properly oxygenizing the water and choking adult fish as well as helping spawn algae blooms which further worsen the problem.

These plants are problematic to individuals as well. Not only does milfoil reduce water quality but the mats make shoreline swimming impossible. Milfoil impedes fish reproduction, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for sailors because it can become trapped on the engine, cause risks for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the watermen view.

Communities and companies are also put at a disadvantage because of this little water flora. Water intakes or over flows can get clogged leading to shortages in some areas and flooding in others. Dikes and electricity output can also be touched if the water plant mats get caught up in the dams.

Milfoil control has been difficult. More Often Than Not poisonous substances are out of the question as they demolish the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Physically removing the flora isn’t fully successful because the parts that break off can form new plants elsewhere. For that reason the large mechanical 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 flora and is a natural way to fight the weed.

Milfoil is just one type of unwanted species that has overstayed its welcome; many other unwanted aquatic plants are still thriving across the country. When plants or creatures are introduced outside their natural environment, you can’t foresee the significances.

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