One week after the Aquastrike treatment (July 20, 2023), we're noticing stresses on the plants in our cove. We've had a hard time finding any N. minor survivors, though there are some. N. flexilis appears to have disappeared from our cove, but we are finding N. gracillima, which looks pretty 'beaten up.'
We haven't seen any chopped naiad fragments float into our cove, usually a daily occurrence, since the herbicide application. Perhaps they've dropped lower into the water column and are no longer in reach of being chopped up by the jet-ski activity in our part of the lake?
VLM looks pretty stressed, but it's interesting to note that there are some green shoots, and we are wondering if these might be showing post-contact growth?
VLM looks pretty stressed, but it's interesting to note that there are some green shoots, and we are wondering if these might be showing post-contact growth?
Rootless bladderworts are looking pale and discolored.
Pondweeds are turning brown
Emergent and floating leaved plants are also showing signs of stress. Stems of Spatterdock are looking stressed, but the floating leaves haven't yet shown any changes.
In mid August, I recorded the following plant responses
- No rooted naiads, native or invasive
- Minimal VLM. Most rooted pieces (scarce) slide out easily, as if their roots have no purchase (except for the far reaches of Beach 4's cove, where surviving VLM in sloppy sediments is well-rooted and tough to pull out).
- No pondweeds
- No golden pert except for some found on a sandbar off Airplane cove's back cove tucked away
- I didn't record any eelgrass, but am not sure I paid attention to it
Northern bladderwort is thriving, and other bladderworts appear to be doing okay. too.
Spatterdock, fragrant waterlily, pickerelweed, pipewort, bayonet rush, 3-way sedge, aquatic moss, chara and Robbins spikerush are still present and holding their own.