27/10/2018
Control and Management of Aquatic Invasive Species
When an aquatic invasive species (AIS) has established in a new location and eradication is no longer feasible, preventing spread and lessening their impacts through control and management becomes the focus. Control and management means much more that just physically harvesting or otherwise trying to destroy the species. Comprehensive control and management of AIS includes diverse objectives such as eradication within a localized area, limiting dispersal, reducing impacts, education and outreach and even research on control methods.
Because invasive species span geographic and jurisdictional boundaries, their control and management requires coordinated action. Information concerning the distribution, abundance, rates of spread, and impacts of the species is critical to regional planning and management efforts. Understanding the diverse ecological, economic, and social impacts of AIS is important to prioritizing control and management options.
A variety of control “tools” are needed to contain, remove, and assess AIS populations and guide management decisions. These tools are applied within an overall integrated AIS management strategy that can be adjusted through an adaptive management process. Actual control of AIS can include physical restraints, removal, pesticides, biological controls or reproduction interference. There are many species that are not currently being controlled or managed in any way due to their widespread occurrence, or lack of effective control and management techniques.
• The K-Aquatics Task Force has national control and management plans finalized for the following species: ruffe, brown tree snake, European green crab, mitten crabs, Caulerpa (a seaw**d), New Zealand mudsnail, and Asian carp.
At K-Aquatics Control we can provide a one off w**d cutting service or a repeat contract, in which aquatic w**ds will be cut and collected ready for the customer to remove or we can add this into our service and do it for you! All our equipment is maintained to the highest standards and all operators are PPE compliant, with risk assessments and method statements provided, in order to ensure the safest working environment possible.
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
Public Awareness Campaigns
A key to addressing the problems caused by aquatic invasive species (AIS) is increasing public awareness of AIS, their impacts, and what individuals can do to prevent their introduction and spread. However, reaching each person whose activities may affect our natural environment is a daunting task. Collaboration, cooperation and coordination across federal and state agencies, local governments, tribal entities, and the public and private sectors is required and facilitating this effort is a primary goal of the Service's AIS Program. To accomplish this, our Regional AIS Coordinators have:
• developed informational websites;
• conducted workshops; and,
• created outreach materials for National distribution, including:
o traveling displays,
o exhibits,
o pamphlets,
o AIS identification cards,
o fact sheets, some in several languages, and
o videos.
If the spread of ANS is prevented by an informed, engaged public, then efforts to control or eradicate ANS will save us all time and money.
W**d Science
EFFECTS OF HERBICIDES ON WATER AND ITS INHABITANTS
There is little evidence that herbicides from agronomic or industrial usage are reaching or accumulating in our water supplies in amounts to cause a pollution problem. Fish tolerance to w**d killers varies with their size and species as well as with differences in the aquatic site. There may be variation to different forms of the active ingredient. Other components in a formulation may be more toxic than the herbicide itself. Therefore, the LD₅₀ of different formulations should be determined. In addition, the manner and other circumstances involving application of a herbicide may change its toxicity to water inhabitants. Our current knowledge of the effects of herbicides on fish, plankton, and other water inhabitants indicate that harmful effects with our present herbicides, when such exist, are only temporary. Available evidence suggests there is no biological magnification problem with herbicides.
Overview
Aquatic W**d Harvesting
There are many cases in which it might be desirable to physically remove aquatic w**ds and other undesirable debris and objects from your lake or pond. One of the most common physical removal services we perform is the cutting and removal of dead cattails. Cattails can grow in dense clusters up to 10’ high and completely take over a shoreline out to a depth of up to 4’. The K-Aquatics. has very safe and effective EPA-certified aquatic herbicides that kill 100% of the cattails in a given area with precise accuracy.
Once cattails die after about 30 days, they are very slow to decompose. If the process of natural degradation is too slow for the needs of a customer, then we will provide a quote for a physical cattail removal program to rid the dead cattails or other emergent aquatic vegetation that has been controlled but not yet had time to decompose. Cattails often take a full year to completely decompose, and their decomposition leaves a lot of undesirable organic muck and dead vegetation.
Lake W**d Removal
Physical removals can be costly, as the work is very labor-intensive. The amount of vegetative material can weigh many tons and take a lot of time and effort to cut, move, load into trucks or dumpsters, and dispose, but the efforts are spectacular within a very short period of time. Obviously, a continuing follow-up program is necessary to protect the initial investment in a physical removal. This often takes the form of a monthly water management program to prevent and control regrowth of the target species, as well as any other emergent, floating, or underwater species. The jobs can be as small as one technician cutting and removing the dead cattails or w**ds and completing the job within hours to more intensive programs utilizing underwater w**d-cutters and harvesters taking days or weeks to complete the job.
Pond W**d Control
In summary, The K-Aquatics. performs a wide variety of physical removals, from a one-man small job to the use of specialized machines for larger areas and a wide variety of w**d problems. We can also physically remove bottom much, sediment, and organic debris using dredge-type machinery.
Project Background and Description
COMPLETE AQUATIC W**D CONTROL SOLUTIONS NATIONWIDE
Nationwide aquatic w**d control for ponds, lakes and waterways throughout India
Cost Effective
safe working methods
access no problem
turnkey solutions
Project Scope
Aquatic w**d control is important for maintaining rivers, waterways and lakes. Although aquatic plants provide food and safe habitat for animals, help reduce erosion of river banks and Absorb pollutants, some plants grow excessively and spoil the appearance and quality of the watercourse.
High-Level Requirements
INTRODUCTION
Global Irrigated Area
O
1.0. Introduction
1.1.1. Of the world's total geographical land area of 13045 mha,1450.8 mha of arable land area is under permanent crops, sustaining a population of 6 billion people. The world's total irrigated area was 249.5 m ha in 1997 (FAO 2000) which is 17.2%of total arable land. It is this land which provides sustained and assured productivity of crops and employs high input returns
1.1.2. Damages caused by aquatic w**ds
1.1.3. Aquatic w**ds are those unabated plants which grow and complete their life cycle in water and cause harm to aquatic environment directly and to related eco-environment relatively. Water is one of most important natural resource and in fact basis of all life forms on this planet. Therefore, appropriate management of water from source to its utilization is necessary to sustain the normal function of life. It is one important part of natural resource management. The presence of excessive aquatic vegetation influences the management of water in natural waterways, man-made canals and reservoirs which amounts to millions of kilometers/ square kilometers of such water bodies around the world. The area under small tanks and ponds is equally important due to the establishment of many small irrigation schemes and watershed management projects all over the world. For example, India has 1.9 m ha under water in reservoirs and 1.2 m ha under irrigation canals. The area under village ponds and tanks is nearly 2.2 m ha.
1.1.4. Aquatic w**ds often reduce the effectiveness of water bodies for fish production. Aquatic w**ds can assimilate large quantities of nutrients from the water reducing their availability for planktonic algae. They may also cause reduction in oxygen levels and present gaseous exchange with water resulting in adverse fish production. Although excessive w**d growth may provide protective cover in water for small fish growth it may also interfere with fish harvesting.
1.1.5. Dense growth of aquatic w**ds may provide ideal habitat for the development of mosquitoes causing malaria, encephalitis filariasis. These w**ds may also serve as vectors for disease causing organisms and can greatly reduce the aesthetic value of water bodies from a recreational point of view.
1.1.6. Aquatic w**ds have been found to severely reduce the flow capacity of irrigation canals thereby reducing the availability of water to the farmers field. Aquatic w**ds may also damage pumps and turbines in super thermal power stations and hydroelectric power stations influencing electric production and increasing the cost of maintenance of power stations. Many aquatic plants are desirable since they may play temporarily a beneficial role in reducing agricultural, domestic and industrial pollution. Many aquatic w**ds may play a useful role of providing continuous supply of phytoplankton’s and help fish production. Some of the harmful effects of aquatic w**ds are listed in Box 1.
BOX 1 - Harmful Effects of W**ds
Reduces water storage capacity in reservoirs, tanks, ponds
Impedes flow and amount of water in canals & drainage systems
Reduces fish production
Interfere with navigation and aesthetic value
Promote habitat for mosquitoes
1.1.7. Aquatic w**ds (emergent, floating and submerged) interfere with the static and flow water system. They cause tremendous loss of water from water bodies like lakes and dams through evapo-transpiration. In flowing water system, aquatic w**ds impede the flow of water in irrigation canals and drainage channels thereby increasing evaporation damage structures in canals and dams, clog gates, siphons, valves, bridge piers, pump etc. Impediment in flow of water may result in localized floods in neighboring areas. India has the largest canal network in the world where the velocity of flowing water is reduced by about 30 - 40 percent due to the presence of aquatic w**ds.
1.1.8. Floating and deep-rooted submerged w**ds interfere with navigation. Water hyacinth and Alligator w**d grow profusely and create dense mats which prevent the movement of boats and at times even large ships.
