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Boaters asked to be on the lookout for the aquatic weed hydrilla this summer

The invasive aquatic weed hydrilla. Photo by David J.Moorhead - University of Georgia
David J. Moorhead
/
University of Georgia
The invasive aquatic weed hydrilla.

With summer boating season about to get underway, the nuisance aquatic weed - hydrilla - could cramp your outing.

Hydrilla is a non-native, invasive plant that probably entered Delaware through the aquarium trade, according to Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC).

And Mark Zimmerman, a biologist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife at DNREC, says this time of year is when it starts to show up.

“Right about usually mid-May, this weed sprouts on pond bottoms and then grows up through the water column," he said." And early in the season - this meaning May, June, July - the weed doesn’t usually pose much of a problem."

But Zimmerman notes the weed can become more dense later in the season.

“It has the capability of growing right to the surface - even in offshore deeper waters," Zimmerman said. "So this plant is a rapid grower, it thrives under low light conditions and it can reach total lengths of over six feet.”

So, DNREC is taking steps now to deal with it.

For example, it began treating Concord Pond in Seaford this week to control the hydrilla there.

DNREC uses EPA-approved Sonar pellets to treat the hydrilla. The herbicide has been used in Delaware since the 1980’s and does not pose any threat to wildlife or fish.

Once a pond is treated, the water should not be used for irrigation for 30 days. That includes residents and farmers who may use the water to irrigate gardens and farmland.

And DNREC encourages anglers and boaters to remove hydrilla and other aquatic plants from their boats, trailers and gear before leaving any Delaware pond to minimize its spread.

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.