Invasive Plants

Aquatic exotic invasive plants

Eurasian water-milfoil

A short guide to avoid an invasion

CRE Laurentides Votre réseau environnemental 2 Aquatic exotic invasive plants

© Richard Carignan (Potamogeton crispus)andEurasianwater-milfoil(Myriophyllumspicatum). (Nymphoides peltata),waterchestnutTrapa natans),curly-leafpondweed including Europeanfrog-bit(Hydrocharismorsus-ranae),yellowfloatingheart In Quebec,manyspeciesofAEIParepresentandestablishedinvaryinglevels our lakes. to limittheirpropagation.Thatiswhyitcrucialinsurethattheydonotenter Controlling and managingAEIPisdifficult.Onceinplace,italmostimpossible of lakeshoreproperties. infestation ofAEIP. ThemultiplicationofAEIPcanalsoaffectnegativelythevalue tional activities such as fishing, canoeing and swimming can be limited by the on society, mainlybyreducingtourismandthedevelopmentofcottages.Recrea biodiversity. Theirproliferationhasnegativerepercussionsontheeconomyand ronment. Theyalterthecompositionofnaturalecosystemsanddisturblocal Aquatic exoticinvasiveplants(AEIP)canrepresentaseriousthreattotheenvi they becomeinvasive. makes exoticplantsferociouscompetitorsofindigenoustothepointwhere This factor combined with other advantages linked to growth and reproduction The newlycolonisedenvironmentisoftendevoidofpredatorsthisforeignplant. A plantisconsideredexoticwhenitfoundoutsideofitsnaturalrange. Plants thatinvadeourwaterbodies

transported bycurrents,usersofwaterbodiesandanimals. stem cantakerootandgrowintoawholenewplant.Theseplantfragmentsbe asset: itcanreproducebystemfragmentation.Therefore,asmallpieceofsectioned Beside thescarcityofnaturalpredators,Eurasianwater-milfoilhasyetanother have finelytextured,nutrient-richsediments. (lakes, rivers,wetlands,etc.)itsmaximumgrowthoccursintransparentlakesthat 5 metres.Althoughthispolyvalentplantcancoloniseawidevarietyofhabitats ranging between 1 and 10 metres; reaching the lake surface at depths of less than This submersed plant formsverydensepatches and cantakerootatdepths evolution. In2016, intheLaurentians,itpresencewassignaledoverfortylakes. Eurasia thatisnowwellestablishedinQuebec.Itsprogressionconstant Eurasian water-milfoil(Myriophyllumspicatum)isaspeciesofAEIPnativefrom way toofondofourlakes! Eurasian water-milfoil,

© Richard Carignan 3 Eurasian water-milfoil 4 Aquatic exotic invasive plants from similaraquaticindigenousplants. Here areafewhintstohelpyoulocateanddistinguishEurasianwater-milfoil spp.). aquatic plantssuchasutriculars(Utriculariaspp.)andhornwortsCeratophyllum in Quebec,Eurasianwater-milfoilcanalsobeconfusedwithsimilarspeciesof In additiontothesixspeciesofindigenousmilfoil(Myriophyllumspp.)found Don’t letEurasianwater-milfoil breakloose… stems surface. Submersed aquaticplantwithsmallfloatingspikesoftenemergingfromthelake GeNeRAL How torecogniseit • • • • whorl or surviveintactunderthewinter ice. The stemscaneitherdieatthe endofthegrowingseason The spacebetweenwhorlsisgreater than1cm. of vegetation. They areabundantlybranchednearthesurfaceandformdense patches The stemsareslenderandbendinordertofloatatthesurface ofthewater. ? Picture: IsabelleSimard

leaflet stem leaf

leaves indigenous plantshavegenerallylessthan12leaflets. Eurasian water-milfoiliscomprisedof12LEAFLETSormore perleafwhereas on manyleavesatdifferentheightsofthestem. Eurasian water-milfoil,oneonlyneedstocountthenumberofpairsleaflets that arefinely-dividedandfeathery. Inordertoidentifyanddistinguishthemfrom Species ofwater-milfoilsthatarenativetoQuebecalsopossesswhorledleaves Identify theintruder! flowers Leaf divisionpattern:FEATHERY Leaf type:FINELY-DIVIDED Leaf arrangement:WHORLED • • • • • • • Certain coloniesdon’tproduceflowers. 5 and20cm. The flowerspikescanmeasurebetween arranged inwhorlsontheemergingspikes. The flowersareoftenreddishand The leavesresembleafeather. The tipoftheleavesisfrequentlyblunt. 24 pairsofleaflets. The leavesarefinely-dividedandcomprisedof12to though therearecommonly4. The whorlsarecomposedof3to6leaves, cm Space betweenwhorls > 1 12 to24pairsofleaflets Eurasian w ater-milfoil cm Space betweenwhorls < 1 3 to14pairsofleaflets Indigenous w ater-milfoils

© Isabelle Simard Source: MDDELCC, adapté du MVLMP 5 Eurasian water-milfoil 6 Aquatic exotic invasive plants and propagationofAEIPinwaterbodies: General recommendationstopreventtheintroduction Prevention isabetteroption! * • • • • • • • new plant. fragment cangrowinto awhole fragmentation, whichmeansaplant as Eurasianwater-milfoil,propagateby the situationbecausemanyofthem,such Pulling outorcuttingplantscouldaggravate Learn toidentifythevariousaquaticplantspecies. a differentwaterbody. Don’t releaseanyaquaticorganismsoriginatingfrom for thegrowthofaquaticplants. in ordertopreventcreatingafavorableenvironment Limit sedimentandnutrientinputstowaterbodies Don’t pulloutaquaticplantsfromlakes.* Avoid circulatingwhereaquaticplantsproliferate.* following theguidelinesproposedinthisbooklet. Inspect andcleanboatsnauticalequipment and ornamentalgardens. Use indigenousaquaticplantsinwatergardens

When leavingawaterbodyandbeforevisitinganotherone: 3 simplestepstoavoidtheworst! step step step 3 2 1 Additional informtion If youcleanyourboatbeforeaccessingawaterbody, itis not onlyremovesallorganismsbutalsokillsthem. perfectly acceptable. However, the use of hot water at 50°C nisms withoutdamagingtheboat.Theuseofcoldwateris at a pressure of 2600 psi in order to fully remove all orga with water. Itisrecommendedtouseapressurecleaner a humidityrateof65%orlessbefore accessing anewlake. natural environment. in aplacethatwillpreventtheirreintroductionintothe leaving thewaterbody. Itisimportanttodisposeofthem remove allmud,aquaticplantsandvisibledebrisbefore Clean Empty Inspect Dry waterbody. bait containers, motor, bilge and coolers before leaving the recommended thatyoudosoatleast30metresaway from anywatercourseincludingstreams,ditchesand theboat,trailerandequipmentforatleastfivedays manholes. Thiswillpreventthepercolationofsoiled theboat,trailer and equipmentthatwasincontact allwaterfoundontheboat,forexamplein theboat,trailer, equipmentandmaterialtofully water intothewaterbody. © RichardCarignan It ispreferabletocleantheboat onabsor bent groundwithoutslopeto allow the water toevaporateafterwards. OR 7 Eurasian water-milfoil 8 Aquatic exotic invasive plants For eachuseaninspection! Downriggers Net Trailer Anchor Floats Paddles Straps Trailer Hull Axle Motor gimbleArea Bilge Anchor dockLines Net w fishingLine Bait Containers Ropes &Anchors Rollers &Bunks Live W aders &Footwear ell BC W Mask Snorkel wheelW Chine Rudders wiresorCables Transom Steps Fins Booties Regulator Cylinder w w decoys,Anchors&Bags Blinds Pontoons Cross members Push Pole Boat, Motor&Trailer etsuit eight Belt aders &Footwear ells 9 Eurasian water-milfoil 10 Aquatic exotic invasive plants sentinelle.htm http://www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/biodiversite/especes-exotiques-envahissantes/ For moreinformation,pleaseconsult(inFrenchonly): are beingmonitored. consult otherusers’reports.SentinellealsooffersafreeguidetoidentifyEISthat to signalthepresenceofmostpreoccupyingEIS(animalsandplants) Developed bytheministryofEnvironment(MDDELCC),thistoolallowsusers composed of amobileapplicationand a mapping system accessibleontheW Sentinelle isatoolusedinthedetectionofexoticinvasivespecies(EIS)that You thinkyouhaveunmaskedtheimpostor? Signal itinSentinelle! eb.

Conseil québécoisdesespècesexotiquesenvahissantes.Guide« for theirpermissiontousecertainelementsofguide. We thank the Corporation de l’aménagement de la rivière l’Assomption (CARA) References University ofMinnesotaSeaGrantProgramand.S.Fish Wildlife Service. Ministère desForêts,auneetParcs (MFFP).Espècesexotiquesenvahissantes– Ministère desForêts,auneetParcs (MFFP).Méthodespourprévenir Ministère duDéveloppementdurable,del’EnvironnementetlaLuttecontre Ministère duDéveloppementdurable,del’EnvironnementetlaLuttecontre Corporation del’Aménagement delaRivièrel’Assomption (CARA). Conseil régionaldel’environnementdesLaurentides.Fichesurlesplantes Conseil régionaldel’environnementdesLaurentides.Panneau « les envahisseursdesmilieuxaquatiques–Ouvrezl’œil dans lecadredu18thInternationalConference onAquatic InvasiveSpecies. « Go giddyoverguidelinesforrecreationalactivites 5 étapespourprotégersonlac–Vidéo.www.youtube.com controle.jsp www.mffp.gouv.qc.ca/faune/especes/envahissantes/methodes-prevention- l’introduction etlapropagationd’espècesexotiquesenvahissantes. sentinelle.htm www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/biodiversite/especes-exotiques-envahissantes/ des espècesexotiquesenvahissantes-Fichesurlemyriophylleàépi. les changementsclimatiques(MDDELCC).Sentinelle–Outildedétection envahissantes/index.asp (EEE). www.mddelcc.gouv.qc.ca/biodiversite/especes-exotiques- les changementsclimatiques(MDDELCC).Lesespècesexotiquesenvahissantes www.cara.qc.ca/index.jsp?p=73 Guide « aquatiques delaTrousse deslacs.www.troussedeslacs.org le message!Pas lesplantes vecteurs.cqeee.org Les plantesexotiquesenvahissantes...Soyezàl’affût ! ». www.crelaurentides.org ». Présentationréalisée ! ». ! Propagez Surveillez ».

Aerial picture of an expanse of Eurasian water-milfoil with stems reaching 6 meters tall. Lac à la Truite, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, 2015.

This guide was created as part of a project to prevent the introduction of AEIP on the territory of MRC d’Argenteuil, which englobes the municipalities of Brownsburg- Chatham, Gore, Grenville, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Harrington, Lachute, Mille-Isles, Saint-André-d’Argenteuil and Wentworth.

The electorate and the administrators of Argenteuil have decided to make a priority of the AEIP situation in 2016 with the goal of preventing their introduction in lakes. The CRE Laurentides has been identified as a key partner for the elaboration of an action plan, in which the main objectives are to characterise aquatic plants in Argenteuil’s lakes in collaboration with local stakeholders and to organise an aware ness campaign among users of the main waterbodies.