Aquacide Blog — Lake Weed Identification

The ongoing battle against aquatic weeds on Kenosha County’s inland lakes is getting tougher as one of the most invasive species is developing an herbicide-resistant strain, and ongoing drought changes the landscape of the lakes. Managing weed growth on lakes is the primary focus of the associations that work to care for inland lakes like Camp Lake and Paddock Lake. Without artificial controls, the lake weeds — especially invasive species like Eurasian watermilfoil — spread in thick mats, making it difficult for boats to move through the water. The Eurasian species first showed up in the United States in about...

Watercress (nasturtium officinale) is native to Eurasia, imported to the U.S. as a spicy cooking herb.  It is a healthy low-calorie vegetable that when neglected can be a problematic invasive weed.  Watercress is an emersed weed found in shallow areas near the shoreline.   It has alternate leaves with the end leaf not paired and a cluster of white 4-petaled flowers that rise above the top of the weed. Cutting only makes the problem worse. 1)      Dig up Watercress root and all before it begins to flower.  Remove weeds to an area away from shoreline and allow it to dry. 2)     ...

ALLIGATORWEED (alternanthera philoxeroides) was first reported in the U.S. in 1897.  It originated in South America and was probably introduced in the U.S. through ballast water.  It is now also considered an invasive weed in Australia, China, New Zealand and Thailand. Alligatorweed has long elliptical leaves that branch opposite on hollow stems that stand 4 feet high.  It has a whitish papery ball-shaped flower that closely resembles clover.  The flowers are located on spikelets that rise from the leaf base. Alligatorweed spreads by seed and fragmentation. When Alligatorweed invades waterways it can reduce flow, prevent light penetration and deplete oxygen due...

They say bad luck comes in threes, and that is the case on the Santee Cooper lakes this year. A trio of invasive weeds, including one still so new that the state hasn’t officially declared it such, has literally taken root and continues to hold on despite the best efforts of Santee Cooper’s analytical and biological sciences department. Invasive weeds are not new to Lake Moultrie or Lake Marion. But they are pervasive. This year is the 30th anniversary of hydrilla first being spotted in the system, in Lake Marion near Rimini. By 1994 it covered almost 45,000 acres of...

Q---I’m considering buying a property with a spring-fed pond.  Before I sign on the dotted line, what kind of maintenance considerations should I be aware of? A---Spring-fed ponds are relatively rare.  Water flows out of spring-fed ponds at all times, not just after heavy rains.  Many people mistakenly think they have spring-fed ponds.   During construction, water gushed into the dug pond area from what was assumed to be instead what they saw was ground water flowing into the hole from veins of water–bearing sand or gravel.  If, however, water is discharged through a spillway, it is indeed a spring-fed pond....