CITY OF MIDDLETON: Water Lettuce & Hyacinth
The City of Middleton proposes to manually remove the large population of water lettuce and minor population of water hyacinth from two detention ponds in Orchid Heights Park, Middleton, as well as a small number of plants that have been transported downstream into the Pheasant Branch Marsh. All plants larger than 2 in diameter will be removed to prevent viable seed production because there is a risk that the seeds could overwinter in microhabitats kept warm by groundwater fed springs through the winter. Education of local residents will also take place, and the sites will be monitored for these species in 2011.
Updated notes from Susan Graham 12/14/2016--City of Middleton, DNR staff, Dane County staff, volunteers from Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy, and consultants removed the entire population of water lettuce and water hyacinth by hand, down to every last plant we could find. By using kayaks, and walking in the ponds, people used hand held nets, and swimming pool land dividers to corral floating plants, where plants were then pitchforked onto a conveyor belt up into a dump truck. Plants were then disposed of at the county compost site. Followup inspections were done in the days and weeks following this eradication effort, and also every year following that until 2016, when the ponds were dredged for maintenance. No plants have been found in any of those inspections.
| Project Type
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AIS_GRANT
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Aquatic Invasives Early Detection and Response
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| Project ID
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AIRR-096-11
|
|
Year Started
|
2010
|
| Status
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COMPLETE
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Activities
- Monitor Invasive Species
- Control Invasive Species
- Information and Education
Final Report and Products