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

However, It did not stay there. Now it is thought to be an predatory species that threatens The northern Us fresh water streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.

In its domestic Eurasian environment it is a relatively innocent plant (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.

Several 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 occupied water, 25 percent carried some milfoil with it. The other main theory is it was introduced by people throwing away fish tank plants or packing material used to ship live worms.

The most hazardous thing about this plant 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 fresh waters of the Rockies to the salty waters of the salt marshes it can prosper. To make its life easier, nothing seems to like eating it.

Once established it spreads quickly in waters that range from 2 feet to up to 30 feet, matting up just below the surface and clogging out the native vegetation. Some plants like millet are given little chance to grow, which causes problems because they are a food source for many and a home for small aquatic creatures. This matted growth also causes trouble for any mammals or birds that fish for their food. Further more, the vast mats keep the wind from properly aerating the water and choking 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 swimming impossible. Milfoil hinders fish breeding, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for sailors because it can become entangled on the engine, cause dangers for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the watermen view.

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

Milfoil control has been challenging. Generally 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 parts that break off can form new plants elsewhere. For that reason the large mechanical 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 broken pieces left behind. A weevil maybe the solution to the milfoil dilemma as it love to eat the water flora and is a natural way to battle 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 anticipate the significances.

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