Weeds On Lobdell-Bennett Lakes

The Lake Association uses a portion of your assessment to help control the over population of weeds in our lakes. This section will eventually present both the naturally-occurring and transplanted species, but in the interim, let's look at the transplant that's on everybody's chit-list.

Purple Loosestrife invades wetlands, eventually completely taking over from native plants. Once it invades an area and out-competes the native flora, the wildlife that depended upon the native species is forced to move into new areas. Waterfowl will not eat Loosestrife seeds and Muskrats eat around PL stands. Wildlife species are displaced, and those that can not move into new areas will be lost. What remains is a biological desert devoid of native plant and wildlife species.

What can be done? If you have any of these plants growing on your property, dig them up by the roots and burn them after the dry out. Herbicides can be effective, but extreme care must be used to avoid killing native plants and contaminating the water.