While our EcoHarvester is doing a great job attacking the dense areas of water chestnuts at the north end of the lake (per our DEC permit), it cannot grab the multitude of smaller patches and single plants growing along the shorelines all around the lake. Therefore, WE NEED YOUR HELP.
If you have a canoe, kayak, paddleboard, or small fishing boat that can access shallow areas, or whether you live on or off the lake, please cruise around the shorelines and grab as many water chestnut plants as possible. It’s quite easy to spot the leaves on the surface of the water (see photo).
Reach down as far as you can and try to pull the plants with the roots; no problem if the stem breaks. Bring gloves and trash bags to collect the plants. You can let the pulled plants dry on your lawn and either burn them, toss them in the trash, or use them as mulch in your garden. If you do this by mid-July, you will have likely removed the plants before the barbed seed nutlets form. Removal will help prevent propagation of new invasive water chestnuts. Each single plant removed can prevent hundreds of new water chestnut plants from growing in the future.
This link (https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/aiswatercfs.pdf ) may be of interest if you want to know more about invasive water chestnuts. Thank you for helping to battle aquatic invasive species in Kinderhook Lake.
The Weed Management Committee
Kinderhook Lake Corporation
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