A highly aggressive aquatic plant is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) cause for concern. The group will launch an herbicide attack on the invasive plant called hydrilla during the week of July 27.
The treatment will be contained to a 5-mile stretch of the Erie Canal, from Delaware Bridge in the cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda to West Canal Marina in Pendleton.
Richard Ruby, lead biologist for the project, tells WBFO the task is difficult because the plant spreads so easily.
“The hard part with this plant is that it’s a very fragile plant that can easily be broken up into small pieces, and those small pieces can reestablish new plants,” Ruby said. “They also reproduce by these potato-like tubers. Those tubers then sit in the sediment and can last for several years and be viable and then resprout from that.”
Hydrilla often overpowers native plants, making it a threat to environmental sustainability. Ruby said the invasive plant is not limited to ecological impacts, but is an economic threat to boating, swimming and other recreational activities. Hydrilla is currently making its way through the Erie Canal towards the Finger Lakes region and westward into the Great Lakes.
Ruby said the public can assist in wiping out the unwanted plant. Anyone who sees hydrilla in or near the project area can call (716) 879-4349 and ask for the public affairs specialist Andrew Kornacki.
Ruby added boaters especially can take precautions to help the cause.
“If you are utilizing the canal or transporting a boat to the area, make sure that when you launch and especially when you
Ruby added boaters especially can take precautions to help the cause.
“If you are utilizing the canal or transporting a boat to the area, make sure that when you launch and especially when you take out that you dry your bilge, that you make sure you remove all plant material from your trailers to ensure that any plants that are attached to that are not transported to a different area,” Ruby said.
Once the herbicide is added, swimming will be prohibited for 24 hours within the project area. Outside the treatment area, there will be no swimming restrictions. However, there will be no restrictions on catching and eating fish anywhere in the canal.
According to Kornacki, the project costs about $500,000 per year. The monitoring efforts, management costs and application of the herbicide are included in the allotted expenses. This is the second year of monitoring and treating hydrilla. Kornacki said the project is scheduled to last three more years.
The USACE received funding through the USACE Aquatic Plant Control Program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lake Restoration Initiative. The USACE also had many partners for the project, including the New York State Canal Corporation, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and many state and local agencies.