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AquaticVegetationID&ManagementToddD.Sink,Ph.D.

AssistantProfessor&FisheriesExtensionSpecialist

DepartmentofWildlife&FisheriesSciences

Improving Lives. Improving Texas.

Aquatic Vegetation Management◦ AquaPlant Website - http://aquaplant.tamu.edu/

Pond Management◦ Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Aquaculture, Fisheries, &

Pond Management Website -http://fisheries.tamu.edu/

Management Apps◦ http://fisheries.tamu.edu/mobile-apps/

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Aquatic Plants

• First critical step….• Identification

• Algae ‐ primitive, non‐seed bearing plants & no roots, stems, or true leaves

• Floating ‐ all parts of plant floats

• Submerged ‐mostly underwater, rooted with flaccid stems 

• Emergent ‐ stiff or rigid stems with parts standing above the surface

Algae

• Planktonic ‐microscopic floating

• Filamentous ‐ stringy or hair‐like

• Macro‐algae  (look like plants)

• Chara

• Nitella

#1 Filamentous Algae - hinders recreational activitiesChelated copper complexes, diquat, orCopper sulfateMozambique tilapia

Chara – skunk grassChelated copper complexes or copper sulfate

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Floating Plants

• Duckweeds

• Watermeal

• Mosquito fern (Azolla)

• Salvinia–common & giant

• Water lettuce

• Water hyacinth

Duckweed & WatermealCarfentrazone, fluridone, flumioxazin, or penoxsulam – all $$$$

Tilapia and ducks – but have other issues

Azolla or Mosquito FernCarfentrazone, diquat, fluridone, flumioxazin, penoxsulam, tilapia

Water Hyacinth

Increased water loss of 200 – 300%

Non‐native

Diquat, imazamox, imazapyr, or penoxsulamManual removal

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Submerged Plants• Coontail• Eelgrass• Egeria• Elodea• Fanwort• Hydrilla• Bushy Pondweed(Southern Naiad)

• Parrotfeather

• American pondweed

• Bladderwort

• Curly‐leaf Pondweed

• Illinois Pondweed

• Sago Pondweed

• Variable‐leaf Pondweed

• Eurasian Watermilfoil

• Variable‐leaf Watermilfoil

Submerged Plants can be ConfusingEgeria

Hydrilla

Elodea

Hydrilla common – Egeria& Elodea not so much

Do not rake or cut!

If unsure diquat, endothall, fluridone, or penoxsulam kill them all.

Grass Carp - E

Hydrilla Elodea Egeria

If unsure diquat, endothall, fluridone, or penoxsulam kill them all.

Grass Carp - E

Coontail

Seeds & Fruiting Bodies

Diquat, endothall, fluridone, flumioxazin

Grass carp – F-G

No raking or cutting!

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Southern naiad (bushy pondweed)

Diquat, endothall, fluridone, glyphosate

Grass carp - ENative, good fish habitat – can become problematic

Diquat, endothall, fluridone, imazamoxGrass carp - E

Submerged Vegetation & Treatment Issues

• 8‐14 tons aquatic vegetation/acre (4‐6’ deep)

• Must be careful with contact herbicide treatments!

• Tons of rotting vegetation depletes dissolved oxygen & causes fish kills!

• No more than 25‐30% of pond

• Not so with systemic herbicides

Emergent Plants

• Arrowhead

• Buttonbush

• Cattail

• Common Reed

• Giant Reed

• Horsetail

• Lizard’s‐tail

• Pickerelweed

• Rushes & Sedges

• Smartweed

• Southern watergrass

• Torpedograss

• Waterleaf

• Waterlilies

• Water Pennywort

• Water Primrose

• Water Shield

• Willow

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Alligatorweed

Non-Native

Alligatorweed Flea BeatleImazapyr or triclopyr

Water Primrose

Land Water

#2 Glyphosate, imazamox, imazapyr, or mowing

CattailIncrease water evaporation 75-80%Glyphosate, imazamox, or imazapyr

White or Fragrant

Spatterdock or Cow LilyYellow or Mexican Lily

Banana or Floating Hearts

Water Lilies

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American Lotus

Mexican water lilyWater Shield

Floating Hearts Spatterdock

White water lily

Water lilies, lotus, & spatterdockfluridone, imazamox, imazapyr, or glyphosate

Rushes are round & sedges have edges

Glyphosate

Arundo donax or Giant Reed

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Native Arundo

Acr

e-ft

Annual Water Use

Imazapyr, triclopyr, glyphosate, or imazamox – then burn

Willow

180-250% increased evaporation

Dam destroyerGlyphosate, imazapyr, triclopyr, or removal

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Tools for Aquatic Plant Managers

• Prevention – physical

• Integrated control methods

–Herbivores

– Insect biocontrol agents*

–Mechanical control

–Herbicides

• Deepen edges ‐ 2.5 to 3 feet

• Grass carp ‐ 5/acre

• Fertilization ‐ prevent rooted plants from establishing by shading bottom & creates strong food chain

• Dyes ‐ shades like fertilization, but no food chain enhancement 

Prevention