Aquatic Vegetation Information

Aquatic Plant Identification Apps and Tips

Milfoil – Common names: Eurasian watermilfoil, spiked watermilfoil, EWM. Milfoil is a submerged aquatic plant which grows in still or slow-moving water. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but has a wide geographic and climatic distribution among some 57 countries, extending from northern Canada to South Africa. It has been found in 33 states in the US. It is considered to be a highly invasive species.

Eurasian Watermilfoil is nothing more than a weed, native to Europe and Asia. It’s interesting to note that Milfoil was used to decorate aquariums, but now, it’s mostly seen in lakes. Like weeds in our yards or gardens, it’s something that can harm other plants as well as put our lakes in danger. The long stems become easily tangled and form thick mats, making it hard for recreational lake users to enjoy the water by engaging in simple pleasures like boating, fishing, and swimming. Eurasian watermilfoil crowds out native plants and forms thick, floating mats on the surface of the water that can make boating, fishing and swimming difficult. with smooth stems that branch near the water surface.

This dangerous plant also makes water life hard for other healthy and necessary aquatic plants by pushing them out of the way. It’s easy for Eurasian Watermilfoil to reproduce, and it only takes one strand of the weed to create more of the tangled stems. All it takes is one piece hanging on a fisherman’s boat to move the weed from place to place, creating even more of the weed and making weed takeover imminent.

Milfoil also brings dangerous mosquitoes to bodies of water, and since it is harmful to good aquatic plants, any body of water where Milfoil grows may become less and less diverse as time goes on and the powerful plant damages all of the good lake life in its path.

Eurasian watermilfoil has slender stems up to 8.2 ft long. Submerged leaves are borne in pinnate whorls of four, with numerous thread-like leaflets.

The DNR district biologist overseeing Lakes Shafer and Freeman is available for plant identification and asks that plants be photographed on a light background and that pictures be sent to D1Fish@dnr.in.gov.

Here are the things YOU CAN DO to help stop the spread of milfoil, which are all applicable lake-wide. All require a bit of elbow grease on your part, but if we are all contributing, it can make a big difference around the lake.

1. As a general rule, get as much milfoil out of the lake as possible. Let it dry out on land and dispose of it as you would yard waste.
2. PLEASE don’t drive through milfoil patches with your boat which will create fragments. Fragments can easily seed new plants.
3. If you do have milfoil on your prop, don’t just reverse and drive away, please remove it from the lake.
4. If you have milfoil growing in your dock or swimming area, pull it out by the roots and remove it from the lake.
5. If you see milfoil floating anywhere in the lake, near your dock, or along your shoreline, remove it from the lake.
6. Obey boating regulations by travelling at no-wake, 5 MPH speeds within marked areas. 

You have probably arrived at this page because you have some sort of weed problem around your shoreline.  It may or may not be impeding your ability to use your shore front effectively, but you want the weeds gone.  As a landowner or tenant, you are allowed to control those weeds through various means including chemical (herbicides) and/or mechanical (raking). But there are limits to how much you are allowed to do. Read on:

THE LAW

“The Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife is required under authorities IC 14-22-9-10 and 312 IAC 9-10-3 to assure that any chemical, mechanical, physical or biological control of aquatic vegetation does not have significant adverse ecological impacts on fish and wildlife, threaten human health, or unreasonably restrict public access to public waters.”¹

IS A PERMIT REQUIRED?

To that end, a permit is required to apply herbicide or to mechanically remove (rake) unwanted weeds in public waters like Lakes Shafer & Freeman.  However, there is an exception for landowners and tenants.  “The law exempts landowners or tenants adjacent to public water from needing an Aquatic Vegetation Control Permit if they are treating no more than 25 feet of shoreline in water less than 6 feet deep and the total surface area treated is no larger than 625 square feet. Once a 625 square foot area is established only the same area can be treated again within the calendar year. If 625 square feet of open area already exists in the vicinity of a beach or boat landing, a permit is required to treat any additional area.”¹

Click this link to see how to apply the 25ft & 625sqft requirement.

INDNR AQUATIC VEGETATION CONTROL PERMIT EXEMPTION

If the linear or square footage exceeds what the exemption allows, a permit is required.  The homeowner would need to contact a private company that handles aquatic plant treatments to discuss getting a permit and having the treatment performed. A licensed applicator will be required for these treatments.  It is best to have the company file for the permit as they are familiar with the process and necessary information needed.²

Companies that Treat Aquatic Vegetation (Invasive and non-Invasive)

• Aquatic Control 
• Aquatic Weed Control
• Lake & Pond Biologists
• ASAP Aquatics
• Aquatic Enhancement & Survey Inc.
• Jones Lake Management

IF THE CONTROL NEEDED FALLS WITHIN THE EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS

Where can I get a rake?

Home Depot:             SVOPES, Aquatic Weed Rake 24” – $32

Walmart:                    YOWPSY 32” Throw Rake – $46

Weeders Digest:      UltraLite Rake – $69 and up

When raking, please avoid letting weed fragments float away.  Many of these weeds can reestablish growth through these fragments and make your situation worse.

What herbicide to use?

INDNR Recommended Herbicides for Aquatic Vegetation:

o Coontail                 – Diquat or Endothal
o Duckweed³            – Diquat

o Eelgrass                 – Diquat
o Sago Pondweed   – Diquat or Endothal

o Water Lily               – Imavapyr or Imabamox

Click this link for a complete list of herbicides:

AQUATIC WEED MANAGEMENT: HERBICIDES (a list with tradenames)

Our INDNR District 1 Fish Biologist also notes the following and is glad to answer your questions at (574-896-3673), D1Fish@dnr.in.gov :

• As with all herbicides, make sure to follow the label closely for personal protective equipment and dosage instructions.

• As with all herbicide treatments in the summer, be careful of how much is treated at a time. Very large treatments can cause fish kills through the decomposition of plant matter causing low oxygen levels in the water. This is unlikely with homeowner exemption treatments, but I like to remind people anyway.

• Typically, if done early in the spring, you can expect to see the best control from these treatments.

• If algae is highly present in and around the plants being controlled, it is often best to treat with an algicide first (copper sulfate being most common). Since Diquat is a contact herbicide that does not control algae, strong algae cover can provide protection from the herbicide for the target plants.

• Aquatic herbicides are expensive, typically costing over $100 for 2.5 gallons of product. This is why it is usually best that homeowners focus on controlling vegetation only where it is actively impeding their ability to recreate (whether boating or swimming).

¹      Source: Aquatic Vegetation Control Permits Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR)

²      Source: INDNR District 1 Fish Biologist, (574-896-3673) D1Fish@dnr.in.gov 

³      INDNR does not allow permits for the treatment of Duckweed beyond the 25ft/625Sqft homeowner exemption.  See Duckweed Treatment Notice.

o Coontail – Diquat or Endothal
o Eelgrass – Diquat
o Water lily – Imavapyr or Imabamox
o Duckweed – Diquat
o Pondweed – Diquat or Endothal

Duckweed, although bothersome, is a native aquatic plant to our area. It is more prevalent in inlets and bays. We understand the concern with duckweed in the Big Monon Bay on Lake Shafer. This area, specifically, was brought to the attention of SFLECC’s Aquatic Vegetation Committee. We have had several discussions with Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDNR) about duckweed and since it is not an invasive species, they have told us “it is nature, and we have to live with it”. Furthermore, the INDNR will not give permits to treat duckweed. We need a water flow to move it along, and unfortunately, when we have little rain, there is minimal flow and it sticks around for too long.  

We have also had talks with other lake associations about this problem. They also say it is a nuisance for them, but not much they can do about it. A few of the lake associations have had some success with lake thruster devices. They are a bit expensive, but can push the duckweed downstream faster into the main lake.  As of now, this is the only option we can recommend that has had some success and is within the parameters of what INDNR allows.

The Aquatic Plant Rule (312 IAC 18-3-23) designates 30 species of plants as invasive in Indiana. This rule makes it illegal to sell, gift, barter, exchange, distribute, transport, or introduce aquatic plants on the enclosed list in the State of Indiana.

The list includes at least two invasive species found in Lake Shafer:

• Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM)
• Curly Leaf Pondweed

Aquatic Plant Rule Brochure

Is the Aquatic Plant Rule 312 IAC 18-3-23 related to Indiana Code IC 14-24-11?

Yes, 312 IAC 18-3-23 is directly related to IC 14-24-11. The former is the specific administrative rule (Indiana Administrative Code) that legally designates and regulates prohibited invasive aquatic plants as pests. The latter is the underlying statutory law (Indiana Code) that establishes the offenses, penalties, and enforcement mechanisms for handling pests and pathogens.

Specifically, 312 IAC 18-3-23 explicitly cites IC 14-24 as its statutory authority and declares listed invasive aquatic plants as regulated pests, meaning violations of the rule can be penalized under IC 14-24-11.

Article 24 Entomology and Plant Pathology

Chapter 11 Offenses and Penalties

IC 14-24 -11 Violations

sec. 4 (b) states: “A person who introduces a pest or pathogen into Indiana without a permit issued under:

(1) IC 14-7-9-2 (before its repeal); or

(2) IC 14-24-9-2;

commits a Class A infraction.”

IC 14-24-9-2

Sec. 2. A person may not cause the movement of a plant or an element of beekeeping that contains a pest or pathogen without a permit issued by the division director. A permit issued under this section must provide adequate measures to assure that communication will not occur to areas that are not afflicted with a pest or pathogen.

IC 14-8-2-203   Definition: Pest and Pathogen     

Sec. 203. “Pest or pathogen”, for purposes of IC 14-24, means:

(1) an arthropod;

(2) a nematode;

(3) a microorganism;

(4) a fungus;

(5) a parasitic plant;

(6) a mollusk;

(7) a plant disease; or

(8) an exotic weed;

that may be injurious to nursery stock, agricultural crops, other vegetation, natural resources, or bees.

IC 14-8-2-87.5   Definition:Exotic weed

     Sec. 87.5. “Exotic weed” means a weed that is not native to Indiana.

What is the Aquatic Plant Rule?

The Aquatic Plant Rule (312 IAC 18-3-23) designates 30 species of plants as invasive in Indiana. This rule makes it illegal to sell, gift, barter, exchange, distribute, transport, or introduce aquatic plants on the enclosed list in the State of Indiana.

Is Indiana’s Aquatic Plant Rule enforced through Clean, Drain & Dry enforcement?

Clean, Drain, Dry is optional but recommended!

Conservation officers are not generally looking for invasive species infractions.  However, if an officer happens to notice an invasive species hanging off your boat or trailer while you’re launching from a ramp, you may get a $500 ticket.  When was the last time you saw the CO at a ramp?  That said, the law still makes it unlawful to transport aquatic plants on the list.  Please make sure your equipment if free of plants (and creatures) when arriving and leaving a waterway.

The list includes at least two invasive species found in Lake Shafer:

• Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM)
• Curly Leaf Pondweed