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Be on the lookout!
A non-native aquatic plant called "hydrilla" is moving north and threatening our lakes and waterways. Hydrilla was imported into Florida as an aquarium plant in the 1950’s. The plant was released into the environment and has since spread to over 600 waterbodies in 21 states, including a lake in Indiana just 60 miles south of the Michigan border. Hydrilla is extremely fast-growing and tends to form thick mats that can seriously hinder swimming, boating, and fishing activities.
Like many other invasive plants, hydrilla can easily spread to new areas. Fragmented pieces of the plant are able to root and develop into a new plant. These plant fragments are transported to new waters via boats and fishing equipment. They can live dormant in the ground and can even resist a drought. Waterfowl often transport hydrilla as well. Some waterfowl feed on the plant and may regurgitate the tubers into other bodies of water. It has been found that these tubers are still able to sprout. Birds can also spread seeds.
Hydrilla is sometimes called an invisible menace because most of the time you don’t know it is there until it has filled the water. It will often shade out and replace native aquatic plants. When hydrilla becomes over-abundant, imbalances in fish populations can also occur.
It is extremely difficult and costly to control hydrilla. We want to take every precaution to ensure hydrilla does not make itself at home here.
For more information about hydrilla, visit the Michigan Sea Grant web site.
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/