Manage this Invasive Species
This is part three of a three-part series on the harmful plants and animals invading our watershed. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: Near, But Not Yet Here and Lalcide Chondro: Feisty Fungus Fights Buckthorn.
Landowners struggling with phragmites on their property now have another option to help control this invasive plant.
Invasive phragmites (Phragmites australis) is an aggressive and destructive invasive reed grass that’s found across our rural watershed in wetlands, marshes and ditches. Left unmanaged, it can destroy wetlands and negatively affect the ducks, fish, frogs, and other wildlife that live there.
Controlling phragmites has been extremely difficult, costly and often ineffective. Manual removal is challenging and can take several years. Herbicide use, a common method for removing invasive plants, has been prohibited around local waterways. However, that has changed with the recent approval of Habitat Aqua.
Habitat Aqua was designed to control phragmites and other troublesome invasive plants in aquatic habitats. It can only be applied by a licensed aquatic pest control applicator and requires a provincial permit. Application in or next to water bodies must be authorized and done in accordance with the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations under the Fisheries Act.
To learn more about Habitat Aqua or how to control invasive species on your property, contact one of our experts. You may be eligible to receive funding for invasive species removal through CVC’s Landowner Action Fund.