July 2020 Dear Reader: Thank you for your interest in aquatic plant management. The Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation (AERF) is pleased to bring you the fourth edition of Biology and Control of Aquatic Plants: A Best Management Practices Handbook. The mission of the AERF, a not for profit foundation, is to support research and development which provides strategies and techniques for the environmentally and scientifically sound management, conservation and restoration of aquatic ecosystems. One of the ways the Foundation accomplishes the mission is by providing information to the public on the benefits of conserving aquatic ecosystems. The handbook has been one of the most successful ways of distributing information to the public regarding aquatic plant management. The first, second and third editions of this handbook became some of the most widely read and used references in the aquatic plant management community. This fourth edition has been specifically designed with water resource managers, water management associations, homeowners and customers and operators of aquatic plant management companies and districts in mind. It is not intended to provide the answers to every question, but it should provide basic scientifically sound information to assist decision-makers. The authors, editors and contributors reflect the best the aquatic plant management industry has to offer. They gave generously of their time and talent in the production of this handbook and they deserve all the praise and thanks that can be garnered. Not only have they prepared the sections, they are available to all interested parties to provide clarification and additional information as warranted. These scientists, professors, aquatic plant managers and government officials have created a document that surely will be the most widely read and circulated handbook produced to date. Thank you all. The production of this document has been made possible through the generosity of sponsors of the Foundation. I offer my thanks and appreciation to these faithful supporters who continue to underwrite what has been an effort to provide the very best handbook possible. I hope you find this handbook to be helpful and informative. A downloadable version is on the AERF website at www.aquatics.org along with other useful information and links. Consider becoming a sponsor of the Foundation and supporting educational projects and other ecosystem restoration efforts across the country. Carlton R. Layne Executive Director i ii Contributors Marc Bellaud ([email protected]) SOLitude Lake Management 590 Lake Street, Shrewsbury MA 01545 Brett Bultemeier ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Pesticide Information Office 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville FL 32653 Gregory M. Chorak ([email protected]) Montana State University Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department 119 Plant Biosciences Building, Bozeman MT 59717 James Cuda ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology Box 110620, Gainesville FL 32611 Eric Dibble ([email protected]) Mississippi State University Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (emeritus) Box 9690, Mississippi State MS 39762 Jason Ferrell ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville FL 32653 Kurt Getsinger ([email protected]) US Army Engineer Research and Development Center 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg MS 39180 Tyler Geer ([email protected]) Clemson University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources PO Box 340317, Clemson SC 29634 Lyn Gettys ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center 3205 College Avenue, Davie FL 33314 William Haller ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (emeritus) 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville FL 32653 Mark Hoyer ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville FL 32653 Robert Johnson ([email protected]) Cornell University (retired); Racine-Johnson Aquatic Ecologists 1185 Ellis Hollow Road, Ithaca NY 14850 iii Contributors Scott Kishbaugh ([email protected]) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (retired) 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany NY 12233 Tyler Koschnick ([email protected]) SePRO Corporation 11550 North Meridian Street, Suite 600, Carmel IN 46032 Carlton Layne ([email protected]) US Environmental Protection Agency (retired); Executive Director of AERF 3272 Sherman Ridge Drive, Marietta GA 30064 John Madsen ([email protected]) USDA Agricultural Research Service ISPHRU University of California-Davis Plant Sciences MS4, 1 Shield Avenue, Davis CA 95616 Ian Markovich ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center 3205 College Avenue, Davie FL 33314 Bernalyn McGaughey ([email protected]) Compliance Services International 7501 Bridgeport Way West, Lakewood WA 98499 Catherine McGlynn ([email protected]) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany NY 12233 Linda Nelson ([email protected]) US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (retired) 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg MS 39180 Toni Pennington ([email protected]) Environmental Science Associates 2863 NW Crossing Drive, Suite 100, Bend OR 97703 David Petty ([email protected]) NDR Research 710 Hanna Street, Plainfield IN 46168 Megan Lee Pietruszewski ([email protected]) Clemson University Department of English 801 Strode Tower, Clemson SC 29634 Candice M. Prince ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants 7922 NW 71st Street, Gainesville FL 32653 iv Contributors Rob Richardson ([email protected]) North Carolina State University 4401B Williams Hall, Campus Box 7620, Raleigh NC 27695 John Rodgers ([email protected]) Clemson University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources (emeritus) PO Box 340317, Clemson SC 29634 Jeffrey Schardt ([email protected]) Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (retired) 810 Remington Avenue, Thomasville GA 31792 Patricia Shaw-Allen ([email protected]) NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources 1315 East-West Highway, 13th Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Joseph Sigmon ([email protected]) University of Florida IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center 3205 College Avenue, Davie FL 33314 Donald Stubbs ([email protected]) US Environmental Protection Agency (retired) 2301 Home Farm Court, Gambrils MD 21054 Ryan A. Thum ([email protected]) Montana State University Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department 119 Plant Biosciences Building, Bozeman MT 59717 Ryan Wersal ([email protected]) Minnesota State University Mankato S-143 Trafton Science Center South, Mankato MN 56001 Jack Whetstone ([email protected]) Clemson University Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science (emeritus) PO Box 596, Georgetown SC 29442 Ben Willis ([email protected]) SePRO Corporation Research and Technology Campus 16013 Watsonseed Farm Road, Whitakers NC 27891 Thomas Woolf ([email protected]) Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau 1420 East 6th Avenue, PO Box 200701, Helena MT 59620 v vi Table of Contents SECTION 1: PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH INVASIVE AQUATIC PLANTS 1.1. Impact of Invasive Aquatic Plants on Aquatic Biology _____________________________________________1 John Madsen 1.2. Impact of Invasive Aquatic Plants on Fish _______________________________________________________7 Eric Dibble 1.3. Impact of Invasive Aquatic Plants on Waterfowl ________________________________________________15 Ryan Wersal and Kurt Getsinger 1.4. Impact of Invasive Aquatic Plants on Aquatic Birds _____________________________________________19 Mark Hoyer 1.5. Aquatic Plants, Mosquitoes and Public Health __________________________________________________23 James Cuda SECTION 2: BAD ACTORS – SOME OF THE MOST INVASIVE PLANTS IN THE UNITED STATES 2.1. Introduction to the Plant Monographs ________________________________________________________27 William Haller 2.2. Hydrilla _________________________________________________________________________________29 William Haller and Rob Richardson 2.3. Eurasian Watermilfoil _____________________________________________________________________35 John Madsen 2.4. Curlyleaf Pondweed _______________________________________________________________________39 Thomas Woolf 2.5. Egeria ___________________________________________________________________________________43 Toni Pennington 2.6. Fanwort and Cabomba _____________________________________________________________________47 Brett Bultemeier 2.7. Starry Stonewort __________________________________________________________________________51 Tyler Geer 2.8. Parrotfeather _____________________________________________________________________________55 Ryan Wersal 2.9. Floatinghearts ____________________________________________________________________________59 Ian Markovich, Joseph Sigmon and Lyn Gettys 2.10. Waterchestnut ___________________________________________________________________________65 Scott Kishbaugh and Catherine McGlynn vii 2.11. Waterhyacinth ___________________________________________________________________________71 Lyn Gettys 2.12. Waterlettuce _____________________________________________________________________________75 Lyn Gettys 2.13. Giant and Common Salvinia