A. Surveying for Water Chestnut E. Service Platform Options Surveying is an important for controlling a water The use of a pontoon boat or john boat as a service plat- chestnut infestation. Identifying populations of water chest- form for a handpulling operation is very effective when nut early, while only a few plants exist, saves a lot of future access to a water chestnut handpulling site is limited. The work. Surveyors for water chestnut infestations should begin shallow draft of these boats, approximately 6-12” not includ- in early to mid-June, and continue until September. Although ing the outboard motor, allows them to be used in shallow boats or are usually used for surveying, an airboat areas to carry personnel, kayaks, and baskets full of spoils. can be very effective for surveying very shallow marshy When outfitting a pontoon boat or john boat for handpulling areas without disturbing native plants. duties, everything on deck except for essential equipment can be removed. This leaves an open deck for pulled water chestnut and storage of handpulling equipment, such as B. How to Handpull Water Chestnut laundry baskets. Typically a stripped pontoon or john boat When pulling a water chestnut plant by hand, try to reach can carry 1,000 pounds of water chestnut spoils. down as far as possible to get the whole stem and root. T h i s will preclude development of small rosettes that are growing areas of dense aquatic plant growth for small pockets of water on the same plant, but have not yet reached the water’s sur- chestnuts. Only one person is needed to propel a kayak as face. It is easier to pull plants and roots earlier in the season as handpull. Kayaks are highly maneuverable making them while they are small. A LWAYS recheck a water chestnut site the best vessels to search in cattails or dense reeds. Kayaks are a month after handpulling and pull away any regrowth before easier than canoes to move through dense algal growth which mature seeds develop. It is essential that water chestnut plants often coats the water’s surface in water chestnut locations. be pulled by August, when mature seeds begin to drop off the Loads of water chestnut spoils may be carried on the front of plants. Late season plants with fully mature, sharply spiked the kayak in a laundry basket (see Section D). Each seeds, should be pulled gently and flipped upside down while time a basket is filled, it can be exchanged for an empty one retrieving them to prevent seeds from falling into the water. stored on the deck of a pontoon boat or john boat service vehi- Spoils should be dumped well above the high water mark, as cle (See Section E). Kayaks are easier to load and unload than far away from a water body as possible. canoes, and are also easier to haul into remote sites. Canoes, while needing two people for steering and propulsion, can carry more water chestnut spoils than a kayak, and are more C. Kayaks vs. Canoes useful in situations where spoils offloading sites are not close Using kayaks for water chestnut handpulling maximizes b y. Kayaks are used most efficiently in conjunction with a the use of available personnel, especially when searching pontoon or john boat unloading platform (see Section E) for close service. Using maneuverable kayaks for searching, and F. Leaf Tip Bags for Spoil Transport canoes for carrying large water chestnut loads, might be a For a -based handpulling operation leaf-tip bags are good combination when offloading sites are not close by. A effective for transport and shoreland unloading of water typical canoe with two people onboard can also carry approx- chestnut spoils. The two-handled plastic tub-shaped bags are imately 180 pounds of water chestnut spoils. sold in gardening supply stores for approximately $35 each. Their flexibility makes them easy to dump and drag. Typically a leaf-tip bag full of water chestnut spoils can D. Laundry Basket Collection System weigh 90 lbs. Since these containers are uniform in size, Plastic laundry baskets are great for water chestnut plant plant count or weights can be averaged and recorded to mon- gathering and transport because they are inexpensive, light- itor the amount of plants pulled per site. A hanging scale weight, and waterproof. Additionally, they drain well, are with a 100 lb. limit is handy for gathering weight informa- easy to handle when full, and can be quickly secured to a tion. If there is no access to a scale, plants can be counted kayak with small bungee cords. Roughly six baskets per and averaged per bag. Yearly tables of recorded weights or hand puller is ideal for the pontoon boat collection system plant counts can be used to track reductions in water chest- (see Section E). nut populations as a result of control activities. green, glossy, triangular leaves with toothed edges, 2 inches wide, on water’s entire plant up Handpulling surface to 16 feet long up to 25 fruits petiole with per plant air bladder Water Chestnut submersed leaves

roots fruit with 4 sharp spines – green

when fresh, black when dry Aquatic Plants of New England Series: Trapa natans, Crow and Hellquist 1983 Illustration by Pam Bruns For more information or to report a new water chestnut infestation, go to: G. Water Chestnut Volunteers www.northeastans.org/chestnut.asp or call: Techniques for procuring volunteers have been success- New York State Department of Environmental fully developed by the Otsego County Conservation Conservation: 518-402-8282 Association. On a volunteer work day, OCCA transports canoes to the handpulling site and provides sturdy hand- SUNY-Oneonta Biological Field Station at Cooperstown: pulling bags for collection. OCCA also appoints a competent 607-547-8778 activity leader who gives a brief history of the water chest- Otsego County Conservation Association: 607-547-4488 nut problem in the area. Volunteers then understand the importance of controlling this aquatic nuisance plant. Work becomes fun when educational lectures are provided on site, watching and identifying wildlife is encouraged, and snacks Techniques for Improving and beverages are provided to volunteers. Management Efficiency

This pamphlet is a gathering of ideas and information on techniques that have been proven effective based on experi- ence and research. PO Box 931, Cooperstown, NY 13326 Water chestnut originated in Europe and was first brought 607-547-4488; www.occainfo.org to the United States in the late 1800s. Water chestnut is an annual species, which reproduces only by seeds. These H. Inform the Public bright green floating plants produce seeds which can lie dor- Distribute water chestnut educational literature to inform mant for up to 12 years. Persistent removal of plants prior to the public about this aquatic nuisance plant and its impacts seed drop via handpulling can dramatically reduce a popula- and to gain support for the management efforts. The enlist- tion over time. ment of volunteer water chestnut watchers is also a vital tool Water chestnut is found in inland water bodies. It is found in the early detection of new water chestnut population. in New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vi rginia, Maryland Fortunately, water chestnut is an easy plant to identify and an and other states, and parts of Canada. Currently, water chestnut observant citizen can spot the plant with the aid of this invades approximately 5 acres of Goodyear Lake. The techniques presented here will help maximize the brochure or a water chestnut watch card. This brochure is produced by Otsego County Conservation Association, with guidance from Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Panel, effectiveness of personnel and equipment in a water chestnut and in association with the Goodyear Lake Association, Inc. handpulling program.