STAs Seeking better plants to replace hydrilla

[N. Cook]

Two plants have been selected as being more efficient in removing phosporous. Bushy Pond Weed and Coon Tail

These have been seeded by helicopter in cells clear of hydrilla at STA 3/4.

We have very little info at this time, but will add to this string as more is determined.

[Converted]

Excellent News Newton!

Bushy pond weed or southern Naiads as it is also know is rated as an "Excellent waterfowl food source"

Here is a link to some info

Maryland DNR (http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/sav/key/naiads_new.asp)

"the entire plant is relished as food by waterfowl" from

USGS Wildlife Research Center (http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/mnplant/pope.htm)

The area that I hunted extensively this year was thick with Southern Naiads and thick with ducks. In mid December the water was completely covered with the seeds from this plant. That seed cover lasted through the end of the season.

[Converted]

I just had a thought. This could be trouble for SFWMD. The ducks love those pond weed seeds. SFWMD wants the seeds to replant in other STA's. I think they NEED us to thin out those duck numbers a bit. :icon_salu Do we have any volunteers. :)

[novaalex]

We just can't be stopped! You can only hope to contain us! :ky:

[N. Cook]

What is going to be interesting is how they keep the hydrilla out of the cells with the other plants.....hydrilla will cover over the coon tail and pond weed as we have observed....and when the agencies spray the hydrilla the pond weed and coon tail do not recover fast enough and the hydrilla comes back at a faster pace and just shades them out again.

Since the STAs must be vegetated, the problem we see on other lakes and rivers where the spraying kills everything or stunts the growth so much there is little or no vegetation for years will not be feasible. So far the news is good....I don't think the plants other than hydrilla will be as attractive to ducks, but this fits into the major objective of our work to have hunting on the STAs....break up the concentrations of ducks in areas where they cannot be hunted and put them back into their historical marshes....

Hunting should remain very good on the STAs if only because of the 6 day rest. However, the rafts of ducks seen to date may be a bit thinner.