DIY Wealth Creation

Eurasian milfoil is a delicate looking plant that was once a common plant to find in fresh water aquariums.

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

In its domestic Eurasian surroundings it is a comparatively harmless plant (but still a bit of a pest) but here, out of its regular waters, it takes over and demolish ecosystems, clogs water intakes and power plants, and makes them unwanted for recreational purposes.

A Number Of hypotheses are around that explain its foundation. One is that it hitched 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 aquatic 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 brackish waters of the salt marshes it can prosper. 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 thirty feet, matting just below the surface and choking out the native vegetation. Some floras like millet are given small chance to grow, which causes troubles 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 large mats keep the wind from properly aerating the water and suffocating adult fish as well as helping spawn algae blooms which further exacerbate the problem.

These plants are problematic to individuals as well. Not only does milfoil decrease water quality but the mats make shoreline swimming hopeless. Milfoil impedes fish reproduction, which means fewer fishermen. Milfoil is also a problem for boatmen because it can become trapped on the engine, cause risks for water skiers and block navigation hazards from the boaters view.

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

Milfoil control has been challenging. By And Large poisonous substances are out of the question as they demolish the very ecosystem they were meant to save. Manual 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 dredging, which can pick up any damaged pieces left behind. A weevil maybe the answer to the milfoil dilemma as it love to eat the water flora and is a natural way to fight the weed.

Milfoil is just one type of invasive species that has outstayed its welcome; many other invasive aquatic plants are still thriving across the nation. When plants or creatures are inserted outside their natural surroundings, you can’t foresee the implications.