Milfoil, an Unwanted Threat to American Waters
Eurasian milfoil is a soft looking plant that was once a everyday flora to find in fresh water fish tanks.
Yet, It did not stay there. Now it is believed to be an predatory species that threatens North American fresh water streams, rivers, pools and lakes.
In its indigenous Eurasian surroundings it is a relatively harmless plant (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 undesirable for recreational purposes.
Several theories are around that explain its foundation. 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 theory is it was introduced by individuals discarding fish tank plants or packing material used to ship live worms.
The most dangerous thing about this plant 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 brackish waters of the salt marshes it can expand. 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, snarling just below the surface and clogging out the native vegetation. Some plants like millet are given little chance to grow, which causes problems because they are a food source for many and a home for small aquatic animals. This matted growth also causes trouble for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the huge 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 reduce water quality but the mats make shoreline bathing impossible. Milfoil hinders fish breeding, 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.
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 deficits in some areas and flooding in others. Dikes and electrical energy output can also be touched if the water flora mats get caught up in the dams.
Milfoil control has been hard. Mostly poisons are out of the question as they destroy the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Physically removing the flora isn’t fully successful 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 dragging, which can pick up any damaged 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 invasive species that has outstayed its welcome; many other invasive aquatic plants are still thriving across the country. When plants or animals are introduced outside their natural surroundings, you can’t anticipate the significances.
This entry was posted on Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at 3:46 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.