Survey says... No aquatic weeds!
Submitted by laurel on December 1, 2010 - 11:08
Wildsight collects baseline data on 14 lakes, finds out all is well--for now
Columbia Valley, B.C. — This summer, a small group of water detectives visited 14 lakes in the Columbia Valley, including Lake Windermere and Columbia Lake. They were surveying and identifying the aquatic plants in the lake systems. They were looking for nasty invaders like Eurasian watermilfoil and yellow flag iris, which can take over watery ecosystems, choke out native species and degrade sensitive wetlands.
Well, the final results are in: No invasive aquatic plant species were found in any of the lakes.
Rachel Darvill, who heads up the Columbia Headwaters Invasive Plant Species Program, was in charge of the project. She is Wildsight’s Columbia Headwaters program manager, and her duties include checking up on the biggest threats to the sensitive Columbia Wetlands: invasive species.
She says the preliminary survey results are great, but continued recreational use of the lakes means we’re not ‘out of the water’ yet, as far as invasive aquatic plants go.
“We need to keep them out,” Darvill said. “Our baseline studies indicate the lake systems surveyed are free of aquatic invasive plants—but it’s up to users to continue to keep them that way.”
Darvill noted that aquatic invasive plants can be very detrimental. “Infestations can lead to reduced water flow and quality, a reduction in biodiversity and disrupted activities such as boating and fishing,” she said.
There is a Golden Rule for lake users to follow, Darvill said—“Clean, drain and dry your boat and fishing gear before entering a new body of water.”
Another excellent way to protect lakes and wetlands from spreading weed infestations is to call in and report them if you see them. “If you see aquatic invasive plants, please report them to us,” Darvill said. “We, along with partner agencies, have a system in place to follow up with these patches of invasives.”
This is the third year of the Columbia Headwaters Invasive Plant Species Program. Activities this year included community weed pulls in Golden, Radium Hot Springs and at Horse Creek. During these events, 17 volunteers removed 61 bags of invasive plants. Wildsight staff also hand-pulled land-based invasive plants at access points in the Columbia Wetlands Wildlife Management Area and monitored the invasive plant species at sites that were hand-pulled in 2008 and 2009. The 2010 activities were funded by Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. The Town of Golden funded a new pilot program, the Golden Community Weed Program.
“We had great success again this year with this program,” Darvill said. “Terrestrial infestations were reduced throughout the Columbia Valley and we collected valuable baseline data on the aquatic lake systems in the region.”
To report an aquatic or terrestrial invasive plant infestation anywhere in the Columbia Valley, please visit www.Wildsight.ca/InvasiveSpecies, or call Rachel Darvill at 250.344.4961.
—30—
About Wildsight • www.Wildsight.ca
Wildsight works locally, regionally and globally to protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and southern Rocky Mountain region.
This area is internationally recognized as a keystone to conservation in western North America.
Contact:
Rachel Darvill, Wildsight Columbia Headwaters Program Manager
Rachel@Wildsight.ca • 250.344.4961
Well, the final results are in: No invasive aquatic plant species were found in any of the lakes.
Rachel Darvill, who heads up the Columbia Headwaters Invasive Plant Species Program, was in charge of the project. She is Wildsight’s Columbia Headwaters program manager, and her duties include checking up on the biggest threats to the sensitive Columbia Wetlands: invasive species.
She says the preliminary survey results are great, but continued recreational use of the lakes means we’re not ‘out of the water’ yet, as far as invasive aquatic plants go.
“We need to keep them out,” Darvill said. “Our baseline studies indicate the lake systems surveyed are free of aquatic invasive plants—but it’s up to users to continue to keep them that way.”
Darvill noted that aquatic invasive plants can be very detrimental. “Infestations can lead to reduced water flow and quality, a reduction in biodiversity and disrupted activities such as boating and fishing,” she said.
There is a Golden Rule for lake users to follow, Darvill said—“Clean, drain and dry your boat and fishing gear before entering a new body of water.”
Another excellent way to protect lakes and wetlands from spreading weed infestations is to call in and report them if you see them. “If you see aquatic invasive plants, please report them to us,” Darvill said. “We, along with partner agencies, have a system in place to follow up with these patches of invasives.”
This is the third year of the Columbia Headwaters Invasive Plant Species Program. Activities this year included community weed pulls in Golden, Radium Hot Springs and at Horse Creek. During these events, 17 volunteers removed 61 bags of invasive plants. Wildsight staff also hand-pulled land-based invasive plants at access points in the Columbia Wetlands Wildlife Management Area and monitored the invasive plant species at sites that were hand-pulled in 2008 and 2009. The 2010 activities were funded by Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District. The Town of Golden funded a new pilot program, the Golden Community Weed Program.
“We had great success again this year with this program,” Darvill said. “Terrestrial infestations were reduced throughout the Columbia Valley and we collected valuable baseline data on the aquatic lake systems in the region.”To report an aquatic or terrestrial invasive plant infestation anywhere in the Columbia Valley, please visit www.Wildsight.ca/InvasiveSpecies, or call Rachel Darvill at 250.344.4961.
—30—
About Wildsight • www.Wildsight.ca
Wildsight works locally, regionally and globally to protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and southern Rocky Mountain region. This area is internationally recognized as a keystone to conservation in western North America.
Contact:
Rachel Darvill, Wildsight Columbia Headwaters Program Manager
Rachel@Wildsight.ca • 250.344.4961
| Attachment | Size |
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| WS_PR_Dec_1_10_Survey_Says_No_Water_Weeds.doc | 47 KB |
| aquatic_invasive_sign.jpg | 484.59 KB |
