Native water plants feed wildlife like ducks and geese, and give fish places to hide. Blooming aquatics like lilies and lotus brighten lakes and rivers with their beauty. What about when your propeller gets fouled with yards of tough water weeds, or would-be swimmers getting creeped out when they peer down from the dock to see lots of vegetation under the water? Annoying, invasive, or dangerous, water weeds can be controlled.
Turtle in watermilfoil by Ann Swain
Just like zebra mussels, some weeds are invasive species that spread from lake to lake when boaters don't properly drain bilges, ballasts, and livewells. Some are carried in by fish and birds. Water weeds like Eurasian watermilfoil, hydrilla, and water hyacinth can quickly take over a lake, clogging waterways and providing the perfect nursery for disease-spreading mosquitoes. They also can tangle your propeller, snarling your plans.
Video tips for cleaning your boat
Your local Department of Natural Resources or DEQ will have
