Hydrilla
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources chained all public access sites at Lake Manitou. The actions show how seriously the state has taken the threat of hydrilla, discovered in Rochester lake this fall, and what could be in store if the noxious plant infests other lakes in Indiana.
Hydrilla is a invasive plant that can take over a lake. It is rarely found in the Midwest, yet it is prolific throughout the south. In Florida, lake managers have spent millions of dollars just trying to combat it and have given up attempts to eradicate it.
Hydrilla is so aggressive it can grow up to the surface in 25 feet of water. It crowds out native plants, and if ignored, will prohibit boating.
While vegetation provides excellent fish habitat, hydrilla can offer too much of a good thing. How hydrilla finds its way into most lakes remains a mystery, but the fact that it has a foothold raises more alarming possibilities. A small sprig trapped in a boat propeller or on trailer can be carried to another lake to sprout new plants, hence the possibility exists more may be growing along the mucky bottoms of other lakes in the Midwest.
October 23, 2006 6:55 AM | Category: Invasive Species