Giant slavania1/7/2024 ![]() Many of Louisiana’s waterways continue to be infested by this fast-growing aquatic plant, causing negative economic impacts to fishing, boating, and waterfowl-hunting industries. In more urban areas, drainage canals and pumps can become clogged, causing local flooding. In some areas of our state, an infestation of giant salvinia can devastate crawfish, rice, and catfish farms. However, water sports and recreation aren’t the only activities that suffer-aquatic life is also impacted.īy blocking the penetration of sunlight into the water, these vegetative mats smother native plants and phytoplankton, causing the rapid depletion of dissolved oxygen and often killing fish. By summer’s end, giant salvinia will have clogged bayous, ponds, and lakes across the state, bringing an end to boating and fishing in these areas. Once that happens, the plants may then thicken and stack up, creating mats one foot deep. Under prime conditions, giant salvinia can double in as little as four days, eventually covering the entire surface area of smaller canals, ditches, or ponds. For the past decade, environmentalists have been challenged to find surefire ways to eradicate these fast-growing floating plants. Since then, the plants have spread to many of Louisiana’s fresh and brackish waters, resulting in federal law prohibiting their importation into the country or transportation between states. In 1999, Toledo Bend was the first Louisiana body of water in which giant salvinia was recorded to have been discovered. At that point, this adventurous horticulturalist must have yanked out the plants, tossing them into the ditch behind the house where they eventually found their way to open water the rest is recent history. Obviously, somewhere along the way, someone thought this was a great pond plant … until it covered the host pond’s entire surface, killing all the koi. When plucked off the water’s surface and observed close up, these plants resemble tiny Venus flytraps and are really quite nice to look at, with their fuzzy exterior leaves. Native to South America, this invasive is speculated to have arrived here via the water garden trade. Even a motorboat operator would find it nearly impossible to navigate this waterway, akin to boating over shag carpet. You might as well pack up your kayak and find another paddling place because this ubiquitous nuisance isn’t departing any time soon, and you certainly can’t paddle through it. What you have encountered is most likely a bumper crop of Salvinia molesta commonly called giant salvinia. But fortune hasn’t found you today because the sheet of green is much thicker and more invasive than duckweed. If you are fortunate, this greenery is just a thin coating of native duckweed. Although brightly verdant, this certainly isn’t what you expected to find. The surface of the water is covered in green. After unloading your paddling gear, you walk to the edge of your favorite bayou only to realize what lies ahead of you looks more like a fairway than a waterway. Anticipation builds as you pull into the parking lot and exit your vehicle the nip in the autumn air puts a zip in your step. The weekend is here, and you’ve been waiting all week to enjoy the temperate fall weather. A sea of Salvinia molesta chokes this Louisiana waterway.
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