Laura from the Wisconsin River Alliance and Paul, the Regional AIS Education Specialist of Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council gave an outstanding presentation relative to PROJECT RED. (Riverine Early Detection)
Their conversation centered around Invasive Plants in our waterways, how to identify them and what to do when you find them. This is a huge topic in our pristine environment which has been invaded for years by citizens introducing invasive plants into our neighborhoods.
I had no idea that so many “aquarium items”…yes, items sold for aquariums…could find their way into our lakes, rivers and streams. More people have to understand the balance of nature, the penalties for putting “foreign materials” into the water, and the consequences of their actions. It was suggested some people actually put these types of plants into their lakes at the end of the pier to give “an aquarium appearance.” OK. That’s a NR40 violation. A 2nd offense within 5 years is a crime with a minimum fine of $700 and a maximum of $2,000! That should get someone’s attention.
Who’s going to do something like that--probably someone who doesn’t know the rules and doesn’t understand the consequences; that’s who. Like someone buying Japanese Knotwood and planting it on their property to provide privacy in their backyard; only to find that once it takes hold it spreads and takes over the area in no time as there are no bugs (or other predators) that will keep it in check. This is NOT a good thing.
Or like Curly-leaf Pondweed that was accidently introduced when common carp were stocked in North America, who knew it would spread throughout the upper Midwest like magic: again, no predators to keep it check.
We learned a lot about invasive plant species today. Thanks to Laura and Paul for their enthused, intelligent presentation. You can check out their information at this website: www.wisconsinrivers.org
Let’s go paddling to see what we can find.
