Eurasian Milfoil, an Unwanted Threat to American Ponds

Eurasian milfoil is a fragile looking plant that was once a familiar flora to find in fresh water fish tanks.

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

In its indigenous Eurasian environment it is a comparatively harmless 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 undesirable for recreational purposes.

A Number Of theories 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 departing invaded water, 25 percent carried some milfoil with it. The other main possibility is it was introduced by people discarding 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 nearly every kind of marine habitat in North America. It can live in the cold of Washington State or the warmth of Florida. From clear 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 rapidly in waters that range from two feet to up to 30 feet, matting just below the surface and choking out the native vegetation. Some plants like millet are given little chance to grow, which causes troubles because they are a food source for many and a home for small marine animals. This tangled growth also causes trouble for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the huge mats keep the wind from properly oxygenating the water and suffocating adult fish as well as helping spawn algae blooms which further aggravate 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 hinders fish breeding, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for boatmen because it can become entangled on the engine, cause dangers for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the boaters view.

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

Milfoil control has been hard. Mostly poisons are out of the question as they demolish the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Physically removing the flora 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 dragging, which can pick up any damaged pieces left behind. A weevil maybe the solution 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 overstayed its welcome; many other unwanted aquatic plants are still thriving across the nation. When plants or creatures are inserted outside their natural surroundings, you can’t foresee the implications.

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