Print PageLake Wapalanne is a shallow oligotrophic lake in Montclair State University’s New Jersey School of Conservation located at Sandyston, NJ. The lake was observed to be overgrown with an invasive plant species, Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicata), and an invasive plant management program using hydroraking began in summer 2009. In summer 2010, the management program hydroraked five cubic meters of sediments and plant, predominantly Eurasian water milfoil. This study investigated the changes in distribution and abundance of water milfoil in Lake Wapalanne as a result of hydroraking. Water transparency and total suspended solids were measured prior to and post hydroraking to examine the impacts of hydroraking on water clarity.
Results/Conclusions
A significant increase in total suspended solids and a decline in water transparency were observed one week after the hydroraking. The lake was observed monthly following the hydroraking. Hydroraking was observed to have limited impact on water transparency and total suspended solids after the completion of the management activity. Hydroraking was found to successfully remove the invasive Eurasian water milfoil in the target area. However, the results of post monitoring Eurasian water milfoil populations found that the plant populations recovered quickly. This might have been a result of the species’ high growth and dispersal rates. Identifying other alternative management options to successfully manage this invasive plant population is strongly recommended.
