New Aquatic Pest Control Training Materials and Invaders in the Pond
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New Aquatic Pest Control Training Materials and Invaders in the Pond
- 1. POND PROBLEMS AND RESOURCES Diane Oleson Water Resources Extension Educator Penn State Extension Jim Clark Water Resources Extension Educator McKean County
- 2. Objectives • Share the Resources and Ideas from the Penn State Extension Water Resources Team • Encourage Some Possible Partnership Opportunities • Alert you to the increase of HABs • Learn from you about future needs
- 3. Penn State Extension Water Resources Team Helping people protect and manage the water resources of Pennsylvania.
- 4. Core Water Resources Team
- 5. Pond Home Study Course 4/2/15
- 6. Pond Course Chapters • Getting to Know Your Pond • Pond Maintenance • Aquatic Plants and Algae • Fisheries • Attracting and Managing Wildlife • Pond Management Case Studies • Frequently Asked Questions
- 7. Home Study Course Process • One Statewide Registration Site (Coordinator) • All Communications by Email • 6 Lessons over 12 weeks • Coordinator Confirms Email Address • 6 Lesson Emails (every two weeks) – Opening Letter, Archived Adobe Connect Presentations, Lesson Worksheet, Website • Worksheet Returned to Coordinator • Coordinator Drafts Answer and Sends to Instructors • Instructors Respond to Coordinator • Coordinator Sends Final Answer
- 8. Home Study Course Process (Continued) • Participants are Asked to Respond to Answer on Next Worksheet Submission • Coordinator Sends Completion Certificates • Survey Monkey Website for Evaluations (Lesson 6) • Coordinator Compiles FAQ and Answers • All Instructors In serviced By The Process
- 9. Pond Home Study Course • 286 Total Participants • PA – 243 • NY – 10 • MD (2), VA, IL, MS, IA, MO, NH, NC (2), CT, FL, GA (4), ID, NJ (3), CA (2), VT (3), OH (5), OR, CO and Oxfordshire, England.
- 10. Penn State Extension Water APP “H20 Solutions”
- 12. Penn State Water Lab
- 13. Water Testing Packages • Drinking Water • Livestock Drinking Water • Pond and Lake Water • Irrigation Water – Nurseries and Greenhouses – Turfgrass – GAP (Fruit and Veg Irrigation or Processing Water)
- 14. Use of this presentation or parts of this presentation is encouraged as long as these credit slides are included. Overall Reference: • Fred Whitford, Purdue Pesticide Programs. “The Impact of Water Quality on Pesticide Performance: The Little Factor that Makes a Big Difference.” November 2009. (http://www.ppp.purdue.edu/Pubs/PPP-86.pdf) pH Half-life Data Sources: • Howard M. Deer and Richard Beard, Utah State University. “Effect of Water pH on the Chemical Stability of Pesticides.” July 2001. (http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/AG_Pesticides_14.pdf) • F. M. Fishel and J. A. Ferrell, University of Florida. “Water pH and the Effectiveness of Pesticides.” (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi193)
- 15. The Impact of Water Quality on Pesticide Performance: The Little Factor that Makes a Big Difference Bill Riden Penn State Pesticide Education Program extension.psu.edu/pested Adapted by Jim Clark, Extension Educator, Jac20@psu.edu
- 16. Effect of pH on Pesticides Common/ Trade Name Half-life with pH 5 Half-life with pH 7 Half-life with pH >8 Carbaryl / Sevin did not find data 24 days 1 day Chlorothalonil / Bravo Stable Stable Stable Chlorpyrifos / Lorsban 63 days 35 days 1.5 days Phosmet / Imidan 13 days* 12 hours 4 hours Simazine / Princep 96 days Decreases 24 days Thiophanate / Topsin 80 hours 1 hour Decreases Captan / Othocide 32 hours 8 hours 10 minutes * At pH 4.5 pH half-life data sources are listed at end of presentation.
- 17. pH Measure of acid or alkaline nature of water Frequently controlled by bedrock where water is stored for water well or spring Low pH can cause corrosion / taste issues Treat with acid neutralizing filter 100 75 50 25 0 Overall 41% (283) pH Percent Failing Standard pH in North Central PA Groundwater Overall County Median 6.60 Lowest 3.0 Clearfield Highest 8.79 Jefferson Drinking water should be 6.5 to 8.5 (aesthetic)
- 18. Aquatic Pesticide Recertification Course $5.00 $4.00
- 19. 7 Aquatic Worksheets Identifying and Managing Aquatic Plant Growth in Ponds (Videos) • Pond Ecology and the Role of Aquatic Plants • Getting to Know Your Pond • Causes and Prevention of Aquatic Plant and Algae Growth • Aquatic Plant Identification • Chemical Control of Invasive Aquatic Plants • Biological Control of Aquatic Plants • Physical Control of Aquatic Plants
- 20. Pesticide Recertification Credits • Videos (CD) • Publication • 7 Worksheets • PDA Recertification Credits Application Form • Course Survey or Evaluation • Self Addressed Stamped Envelop
- 21. CVENT Registration Site • http://extension.psu.edu/aquatic-pesticide
- 22. Marketing • On Line Pond Management Home Study Course Brochure • Regional Pond Workshops Flyer • Pond Water Test Kit Brochure • 10% Off Coupon (Thank You for Taking the Course) • For Sale Water Publications Flyer
- 23. 10% OFF Coupon Penn State University Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory Pond/Lake Water Test Kit 10% OFF Coupon Participant Name: ___________________ Date Issued_________________________ (Coupon is valid for one year from the issue date) Coordinators Signature_________________
- 24. Cover Letter and Process • One Central Coordinator • Package requested and sent • Self addressed stamped envelop returns (Returned within 60 days) • Worksheets graded (70% or greater to get credits) • PDA form completed and email sent for credits • Completion certificate sent to participant.
- 25. Finances • Participant Cost = $30.00 • Expenses – $13.68 – $9.00 (Publication and CD) – $2.68 (Postage 2.07 + 0.61) – $2.00 (Envelopes, Paper, and Colored Copies) • Balance – $16.32 per packet • 27 Participants to Date • Open Beyond PA?
- 26. PARTICPANT BENEFITS • Time Convenience (2 AM in the morning) • No Travel (Work at home) • Organization (Structured Learning) • Deadlines (Some people need deadlines, no pressure atmosphere) • Anonymity with Access and Individualization
- 27. WHY USE THESE METHODS? • Travel Costs – Participants and Instructors • Time Constraints – Participants and Instructors • Financial Resources – Do more with less • Larger Audience Pool – The world is waiting for your extension advice!
- 28. Updating the Educational Packet for Category 9 Aquatic Pest Control • Penn State Pesticide Education Department – Prepares educational training materials for the PA Department of Agriculture – Category 9 Aquatic Pest Control • Revamping in 2014 • Penn State Water Team – Reviewing and Updating Materials – Writing Exam Questions for databank • PALMS Professionals– Reviewing Materials
- 29. More Info: Ext. Water Website • http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/ water
- 30. Diane Oleson, Penn State Extension
- 31. What is an Invasive Species? • Defined by Executive Order • Outside native range • Brought in by artificial means • Economic, ecological or human, plant or animal health harm • Different from a native plant that overgrows the pond
- 32. Why are Invasive Species a Problem? • Characteristics • Come in all forms – plants, insects, animals, pathogens – both terrestrial and aquatic • Tolerate wide range of environmental conditions • Have few diseases, parasites or predators • Produce large numbers of offspring, spread rapidly • U.S. control / losses = $Billions annually
- 33. How do they move? • On equipment • Bait Bucket • Waterfowl / Wildlife • Aquarium release Zebra mussels Randy Westbrooks, U.S. Geological Survey, Bugwood.org • Stocking Just seem to show up
- 34. Aren’t just plants Pathogens and vectors Asian Tiger Mosquito Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org Fishhook (top) & Spiny (bottom) Waterfleas Photo: J. Liebig, NOAA GLERL, 2001 Goldfish and Koi Invasive crustaceans
- 35. Why are Invasive Aquatic Plants a Problem? Aquatic Invasive Plants Compete with native vegetation Reduce wildlife habitat Reduce biodiversity Form mats: Interfere with flood control, irrigation, navigation Interfere with recreational activities (swimming, boating, fishing) Reduce dissolved oxygen in the water Create mosquito breeding habitat Slow moving water problem Unattractive Hydrilla USDA APHIS PPQ Archive, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org Parrotfeather Watermilfoil Utah State University Archive, Utah State University, Bugwood.org Floating Bleeding Heart Rob Andress, Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bugwood.org Water Chestnut Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
- 36. Submerged Invasive Plants USDA APHIS PPQ Archive, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org Hydrilla, waterthyme, Hydrilla verticillata • Native to Asia or Africa • Can grow 20-40 feet deep • Spreads by fragments • Forms resistant overwintering tubers • Forms dense mats • Aquarium plant release
- 37. Watermilfoils Parrotfeather watermilfoil Myriophyllum aquaticum • Native to South America • Water garden introduction • Forms mats John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum • Eurasian origin • Forms mats • Ballast water, worm packing, aquarium plant Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
- 38. Submerged Invasive Plants Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, Bugwood.org Curly leaf pondweed, Potamogeton crispus • Tolerates low light, low water temperatures • Forms dense mats • Causes eutrophication => Increased algal blooms
- 39. Up and coming Water Chestnut, Trapa natans • Roots 12-15 ft deep • Floating mats of rosettes • Nasty spiny seeds • Fragments form new plants Leslie J Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
- 40. Giant hogweed Heracleum mantegazzianum DANGEROUS – Sap causes burns Thomas B. Denholm, New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org USDA APHIS PPQ Archive, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org From Europe Crowds out native species; produces toxic sap (causes skin irritation and blindness) Found in disturbed and riparian areas Spreads
- 41. Native Nuisance Plants Algae Chara Nitella Vascular plants Duckweed Watermeal Pondweeds Naiads Elodea Waterlily Cattails
- 42. Aquatic Invasive Species Education Curriculum developed with a grant On DVD On Water Resources website
- 43. Components of the curriculum Train the trainer Presenter file to train educators Support materials Fact Sheet, Federal and State Noxious weed lists, Resources and references Tools for educators Developed talks for educators to use with public Shorter Presenter file for the public PowerPoint with a script to customize for their area
- 44. Distribution Use Master Gardeners to extend Presented at Statewide MG Conference Presented at PALMS, CCLC Master Gardener trainings
- 45. Best Management Practices Maintain your pond Make sure problem plants or animals stay in pond When selecting plants, do your homework Look at what you are putting in and around the pond Is it on a noxious weed list? Why? Use native plants Don’t share what you don’t know Don’t dispose of aquarium critters in ponds or streams Clean and inspect everything before installing Obtain fish for stocking from reputable sources
- 46. In General - Most plant problems are NUTRIENT problems Test your water Invasives need to be eliminated, if possible Vegetated Buffers Restrict fertilizer, manure, sediment runoff Control geese Herbicides are a temporary fix MUST identify the plant Obtain permits PA Fish & Boat / DEP
- 47. Nuisance Native Plants - Algae Filamentous Algae • Slimy, stringy • Start as mats on the bottom • Different algae at different times Planktonic algae • Microscopic algae - float in the water column • Water looks green, brown, reddish • Can sometimes be confused with muddy water
- 48. Toxin Producing Algae = HABs Produced by some ‘Blue-green algae” = Cyanobacteria – Closely related to bacteria, but larger – Produce a variety of toxins, 2 of particular importance – Microcystin – hepatotoxin; Anatoxin-A – neurotoxin – 3 main problem species: “Annie, Fannie and Mike” • Anabaena, Aphanizomon and Microcystis – Toxins - Not all the time, not for long periods – Nutrient rich conditions, warm water temperatures – Toxins released when cells die – NOT a new problem
- 49. Most Common Culprits Annie Anabaena Fannie Aphanizomenon Mike Microcystis Microcystis Common in Great Lakes Multiple HAB events, most recently in Toledo OH NOAA runs Lake Erie Bulletin This will only get worse
- 50. Known cyanobacteria and the toxins they produce. Genus Toxins produced Anabaena Anatoxins, Microcystins, Saxitoxins Anabaenopsis Microcystins Aphanizomenon Saxitoxins, Cylindrospermopsins Cylindrospermopsis Cylindrospermopsins, Saxitoxins Hapalosiphon Microcystins Lyngbya Aplysiatoxins, Lyngbyatoxin a Microcystis Microcystins Nodularia Nodularin Nostoc Microcystins Phormidium (Oscillatoria) Anatoxin Planktothrix (Oscillatoria) Anatoxins, Aplysiatoxins, Microcystins, Saxitoxins Schizothrix Aplysiatoxins Trichodesmium yet to be identified Umezakia Cylindrospermopsin Cyanosite http://www-cyanosite.bio.purdue.edu/
- 51. Health Effects and Precautions Pets and livestock have died from ingesting toxin contaminated water, people have become ill. • People, pets and livestock should avoid contact with water showing bloom symptoms. • Never drink untreated surface water, whether or not algae blooms are present. • In-home treatments do not protect people from blue-green algal toxins. • As a precaution, rinse washed dishes with bottled water. Stop using the water and seek medical attention if symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, skin, eye or throat irritation, allergic reactions or breathing difficulties occur while in contact with untreated surface waters showing signs of a bloom.
- 52. Field Guides…. http://www.paseagrant.org http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/ water/ponds/pond-management/ aquatic-plants
- 54. Questions?
Editor's Notes
- Thank you for inviting Diane and I to speak today. My name is Jim Clark and this is Diane Oleson and we are both Penn State Extension Water Resource Educators. I am always excited to speak about the Penn State Extension Water Resources Team, so lets get started.
- These are the objectives that Diane are hoping to cover in this short hour.
- The goal of the Penn State Extension Water Resources Team is to help people protect and manage the water resources of Pennsylvania. I am located in North Central PA where the important headwaters of Pennsylvania are located. This picture from Potter County shows the only triple divide watershed east of the Mississippi in the United States located in Potter County PA. If a drop of water falls at this stake, if it goes North it will end up in the Genesee River Watershed, South into the Susquehanna River watershed, and west into the Allegheny River watershed.
- This is a map of PA and shows where we currently have water related water educators. You can see we could use more people in different parts of the state, but budgets make us live by the do more with less theme. This situation is the reason that we work as a team and the reason we find ourselves using more and more technology to deliver programs.
- I will start by first mentioning a very successful extension on line program we developed. The Pond Home Study Course was created in 2006 and consist of six lessons delivered over 12 weeks. This is all done on line through email. Lessons are sent through a distribution list of class participants and reading assignments are found on a dedicated website for the class.
- There are six chapters that are covered and each chapter has a list of frequently asked questions and the answers that we have developed along the way. If you ever have a pond question, I would encourage you to go to our website and look at these frequently asked questions and our answers. We have offered this class 10 times and each time the class is over we review and add the current class questions to build the frequently asked questions website.
- There is one statewide registration site and coordinator. The coordinator handles all communications by email. A week before the class begins email addresses are confirmed. The first lesson is emailed out with an opening letter, the directions to an archived adobe connect presentation on the chapter topic, directions to the resource website and a lesson worksheet. Participants read the factsheets on the website, watch the recorded presentation, answer the worksheet questions which includes a section where they can ask questions about their own pond or lake. The completed worksheet is emailed to the coordinator who drafts an answer and then forwards it by email to the pond instructors. Pond instructors respond to the coordinator with improvements to the answer. The coordinator finalizes the final answer and emails it out to the participant.
- Participants are asked to respond to the answer for worksheet one when they return worksheet 2. If all 6 worksheets are completed, the coordinator sends a completion certificate. A survey monkey site is given in lesson 6 to gather impact data and evaluations for the class. At the end of 12 weeks any new questions are processed for the frequently answered questions pages. All the instructors benefit from interacting with the different pond resources and their owners from across the state.
- To date we have taught 386 pond owners with 243 from PA and we also have participation from 18 other states and one international student.
- This year we completed our first water app. This was targeted at Real Estate Agents. The app uses the data from the Penn State Water Lab and gives the countywide summaries for the water parameters tested in that county. So a real estate agent doing a water test before a house sale can look on the app and know what parameters are prevalent in that county and can run the appropriate tests. The app will help you match up common water symptoms with possible contaminants and it will help people contact their closest Penn State Extension Water Educator or the Penn State Water Lab. It is now available for Apple phones and can be found as H20 Solutions on line. We are waiting now for the release of the android version.
- We are lucky at Penn State to have one of the only University water labs that is open to the public. The water team has access to this data and can build our educational programs based on testing problems we may see in that data. The aggregate data is available on line by PA county. Individual water test results are confidential.
- These are the water test packages that are available through the lab. I will pass around an example of what the water test package looks like.
- I want to show you one way I have used this data in my pesticide classes. I stole Fred Whitford’s presentation from Purdue on the impact of water quality on pesticide performance this past year.
- Bill Riden with the Penn State Pest Ed Program adapted this presentation for PA, but I went a step further and integrated the water testing data I had into the talk.
- So when we talked about how different pH levels can affect the efficacy of the pesticide application, and that the foundation of any spray application is usually the water you use to mix up the application, which on most farms is the private water well……
- I was able to share in my area that the median pH of private water wells was 6.6, but the low was a 3.0 and the high a 8.79 in neighboring county wells. So the pH of your mix water is important. And then you drive the point home by saying these numbers don’t mean anything to you, but what is the pH of the water that you are using in your spray applications.
- We also have an Aquatic Pesticide Recertification Packet This extension publication entitled Management of Aquatic Plants and the companion piece of seven short videos of controlling aquatic plants we had as our base resource. This publication already sells for 5.00 and the video CD sells for 4.00.
- We took these materials and developed 7 one page worksheets that correspond to each of the short videos on the cd. You have to watch the videos to do the worksheets.
- The video viewing time is 30 minutes. We worked out an agreement with the PA Dept of Ag that applicators needing update credits, especially for category 9, would get 3 credits for completing the class, but applicators could take the class just once for credit.
- This is the registration website where anyone can go in and register. Once this form is submitted a copy is emailed to me and I will send out the class packet which looks like this, which I will pass around for you to see.
- This packet of material is sent by surface mail. Many of these applicators are often pond consultants, so in the packet we will include brochures for the On-line Pond Course, Regional Pond Workshops, and the Pond Water Test Kit Brochure. Each participant will get a 10% off coupon for a pond water test kit from the Penn State Water Lab. We also will include a For Sale Water Publications flyer in the packet.
- As I stated before, we worked with Ann Wolf at the Penn State Water Lab to offer a 10% off coupon for a Penn State Pond Water Test Kit as a thank you for taking the course.
- We have one central coordinator for this course for the state. The package is requested and sent with a self addressed stamped envelope. The worksheets need to be completed and returned within 60 days and they must score a 70% or greater to qualify for the PDA credits. They will also return a completed form for PDA Credits, The coordinator will add the test score to the form and send it on to PDA for processing after a copy is made and kept with the extension coordinator. All the sheets in the packet that need to be returned in the self addressed stamped envelope are color coordinated to help participants process the packet. A completion certificate and a copy of the PDA form with the test score on it will be sent to the participant.
- The cost of the packet is $30.00 The expenses include the publication and cd for 9.00, the postage for 2.68 and the cost of the envelopes, paper and copies for 2.00 for a total expenses of approximately 13.68. That gives us a balance of 16.32 per packet. We have had 27 PA applicators participate to date. We are open to offering this course outside of PA, but need help in arranging the reciprocating agreements for the credits between the different states and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The course is ready and now available.
- All of these extension water courses require no travel by the participants and they can complete them at two in the morning if they want. The course provides the organization, structure and deadlines that many people need to learn on their own. It also provides participants the ability to interact with extension specialists about their individual situation.
- There is a lot of work in the design and creation of these courses. The on line course takes a lot of time and work as well, but once they are up and running the process does go easier and faster. These methods save travel time and expense for both participants and instructors. The biggest advantage is that anyone with a computer in the world can take your class. The world is waiting for your extension products and to hear your extension messages.
- The final point I want to make is that the Pest Ed program at PSU prepares and sells the pesticide educational training packets for the PA Dept of Ag. This year we are revamping the Category 9 Aquatic Pest Control Educational Packet. This educational packet assists applicators in preparing for the Category 9 Aquatic Pest Control Exam. The Penn State Water Team reviewed the old packet, and helped the Pest Ed Department develop the new packet which is being reviewed by aquatic professionals through the PA Lake Management Society. The water team is also assisting by writing possible exam questions that can be added to the PA Dept. of Ag’s databank of questions for this category exam.
- The Penn State Extension Water Resources Team and all these programs and more can be accessed through our team website which is located here. We are doing monthly webinars and they are archived here. I will point out links from this page to more info on drinking water, pond management, and Marcellus Shale, as well. If you put the letters DWIT in this search engine it will take you to our Drinking Water Interpretive Tool which helps people evaluate their water lab test results. I will now turn the mic over to Diane Oleson.
- First, we need to consider just what constitutes an “Invasive Species” and why should it matter to us? It has an official definition - by Executive Order – You can’t discuss a problem or write laws if you don’t have a consistent definition. "Invasive species" – one – comes from another ecosystem, an alien. Two – was moved by artificial means – usually human mediated. Three – the introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Usually you get at least a two-fer. Zebra mussels, for example, cause both an economic (macrofouling water and power plants) and ecological impacts (competition)
- Characteristics – these organisms are the ‘Weeds’. They tolerate a wide range of temperature, moisture and soil conditions, often poor conditions; exploit disturbed areas and usually form dense monotypic (only one organism) stands. Many of the aquatic invasive plants alter the habitat by crowding out the native plant species the fish and insects depend on for food and shelter and form dense mats that interfere with dissolved oxygen levels, recreation and commercial uses such as power plant intakes and navigation. When they come, they move in without natural controls – predators, parasites and pathogens. Invasive species reproduce rapidly and usually by several means. For example, plants often reproduce by seeds and fragmentation and are easily moved. Invasives cost serious money. Frequently damages are ecological and defy quantifying. Estimates for invasive species in all areas – Agriculture, forestry, and horticulture, cost $128-138 billion annually in the US alone.
- In the picture is the infamous zebra mussel. They are voracious filter feeders who entered the Great Lakes in 1988 and have spread down the Mississippi to the Gulf and are to the west coast. They are known for starving other native mussels and clams and overgrowing any hard surface. Pipes, lock and dam mechanisms, pipes in water intakes for cooling or drinking water have all been overgrown. These are really sneaky since they have a microscopic life stage that can be transported in water.
- All sorts of critters are moved in or by water. Here are some of the invaders that have been spread by resting stages, seeds, plant fragments or egg rafts.
- Invasive Aquatic Plants with native vegetation which has real wildlife value that leads to a loss of biodiversity and habitat. Invasive species are a major cause of threatened and endangered species, second only to habitat loss. They interfere with use of water resources, degrade the resource and even increase pest-breeding potential. This is a sampler of some of the problems we are seeing.
- Hydrilla, Hydrilla verticillata Hydrilla or waterthyme is native to Asia or Africa. It can grow in deeper water than most native plants. It resembles native elodea. The primary means of spread is fragmentation. Late in the season herbicide-resistant tubers form at the end of the stolons, allowing for rapid recolonization of a treated site. It was introduced in 1950s through aquarium release.
- Eurasian and Parrotfeather watermilfoil – invade lakes, ponds, and slow moving streams where it can form dense mats of vegetation. Fragmentation spreads both plants. Parrotfeather is native to South America and was first introduced into the United States 1890 as an aquarium and aquatic garden plant. Fragmentation makes it difficult to harvest and easy to spread. It has a waxy cuticle that limits herbicide effectiveness. Eurasian watermilfoil, comes from Eurasia, tolerates brackish conditions, but prefers fresh water. It is opportunistic, colonizing disturbed areas. Mechanical harvesting is very costly, and is only a temporary fix. It was spread as worm packing, and is sold as an aquarium plant.
- Curly leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) is native to Eurasia. It prefers freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and in slightly brackish waters. It tolerates low light and low water temperatures. These plants germinate, overwinter under the ice and are among the first plants to grow in the spring. When the plants die off in the summer, the decaying plant matter can make the water extremely eutrophic which can lead to algal blooms.
- Water chestnut (Trapa natans) is native to Europe and Asia. It is a rooted, floating plant that invades shallow to deep, fresh water habitats (12 to 15 ft of water). It forms dense, floating mats, often three layers deep. Small, four-petaled flowers give way to the nut-like fruit with two to four, ½ in. long, sharp, barbed spines. The spines can penetrate sneakers. It can be removed by hand-harvesting, but reproduces from plant fragments, so harvesting activities can make the problem worse unless care is taken. WATER GARDEN PLANT
- Brought in from Europe as an ornamental Herb in the carrot family (Apiaceae) that grows 15 to 20 feet in tall. It grows in disturbed and riparian areas. Public Health Hazard: Giant Hogweed sap makes skin sensitive to UV light. This can result in severe burns to the affected areas, producing swelling and severe, painful blistering. Large, watery blisters usually appear 15 to 20 hours after contact with the sap and sunlight. Contact between the skin and the sap of this species occurs either through brushing against the bristles on the stem (as with a stinging nettle) or breaking the stem/leaves. The skin should be covered to reduce the exposure to sunlight and washed IMMEDIATELY and thoroughly with soap and water.
- Native nuisance plants will vary with your location – but they will get out of hand. It’s just far less critical if they escape or are moved around.
- Many of these plants are water garden and aquarium releases, so we developed a curriculum to extend education to the public through Master Gardeners and other interested water resources educators. All the materials are available online on the water resources website under pond and lake.
- We have a train the trainer detailed talk as a narrated, annotated Presenter file, support information and two versions of a shorter talk for the public – a Presenter file and the Power Point with notes so the presentation can be tailored to any particular problem in that area.
- Presentations on the curriculum and the curriculum itself have been delivered to over 200 attendees from PA, MD and VA including lake managers and landscape designers and at Master Gardener trainings in 5 counties.
- Best Management Practices are mostly common sense, folks just need to think about them. Make sure nothing that shouldn’t get out doesn’t – either use natives so it doesn’t matter or take precautions. Be sure to think about flood events. No releasing pets, dumping aquaria or bait, and know your suppliers if you stock anything.
- The best pond management is really nutrient and watershed management. Know any permitting requirements and restrictions.
- Planktonic algae are microscopic algae that float in the water column - Cause the water to look green, brown, or reddish, Can sometimes be confused with muddy water. Filamentous algae are generally slimy and stringy. Algae grow very quickly when conditions are optimum, often resulting in a “bloom” where the pond water becomes colored within a day or two Blooms algal blooms usually crash in early fall around the first frost, causing the pond to clear up very quickly (often overnight) Ponds with plankton algae typically have clear water during the winter but cloudy water during summer. Decaying blooms of filamentous algae can deplete oxygen and causing a fish kill.
- Cyanobacteria - relatively simple, primitive life forms closely related to bacteria. Typically much larger than bacteria, photosynthesize like algae. Depending upon the species, can occur as single cells, filaments of cells, or colonies. Characteristic pigment gives the group their blue-green coloration. Upon cell death disintegrate, may color the water a distinctive bluish color. Found throughout the world in terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, but blooms typically occur in freshwater. Cyanobacterial blooms are NOT a new problem. The earliest account dates back to the 12th century; Toxic effects of cyanobacteria on livestock have been recognized for more than 100 years. Cyanobacterial bloom formation seems to be linked to nutrient-rich water – particularly P, since some can fix N. Slow moving/still water flow and elevated Temps also needed
- Microcystis is extremely common in Lake Erie and has been responsible for multiple HAB events, most recently in Toledo OH NOAA has had research ongoing for years. In case you think these events aren’t of our doing, Zebra mussels are believed to play a role in Microcystis increases and the nutrient runoff from the land provides extra nutrients.
- Cyanobacteria produce a wide variety of toxins They fall into 2 categories – Hepatotoxins (attacks liver) and Neurotoxins (attacks nervous system) Some produce both. Other toxins are under study. There are classifications for toxicity ranging from minor skin and eye irritation to very fast death. These organisms can produce toxins in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, impoundments – all places where we draw drinking water.
- The best advice is to avoid going into waters where you suspect bloom. Keep pets and livestock away. Assume the water is not healthful to be around.
- Pennsylvania’s Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species is available through PA Sea Grant. A Field Guide to Common Aquatic Plants of Pennsylvania is a Penn State publication, and the Pocket Guide to Mid-Atlantic Water Garden Species is available as a PDF on Penn State Water Resources website.
- All the materials are available on the Penn State Water Resources website.