Managing Aquatic Invasive Plants and Animals

The Goal

Prevent the introduction, limit the spread, and control the impact of non-native aquatic invasive species in order to preserve the integrity of the Lake Champlain ecosystem.

// In This Section //

• Introduction
• Management Plans
• Rapid Response
• AIS Laws and Rules
• Spread Prevention
• AIS Management in the Basin
• Citations

Introduction

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are non-native species that harm the environment, economy, or human health. AIS include aquatic plants, animals, and pathogens. Lake Champlain was home to 49 known non-native aquatic species in 2010, many of which are invasive. Once introduced into Lake Champlain, AIS have the potential to spread to other inland water bodies in the Basin. AIS that become established in the Basin can pose serious threats to indigenous fish, wildlife and native plant populations; impede recreational activities; significantly alter the ecosystem of the Lake; and damage the economy of the region.

AIS have entered the Lake Champlain Basin through a number of different pathways, most commonly through interconnected waterways, such as the Champlain and Chambly Canals and Richelieu River, or overland through human activities, such as boating and bait transport. Other pathways include accidental water garden releases, aquarium dumping, and illegal fish stocking. The interconnected waterways of Lake Champlain transcend the authority of any single state or jurisdiction, necessitating coordination among the different management agencies. AIS currently found in Lake Champlain include zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, water chestnut, and alewives. Asian clams and didymo are examples of recent AIS introductions in the Basin that are not yet known to occur in Lake Champlain. Recent research has indicated that sea lamprey are native to Lake Champlain; more information on sea lamprey may be found in the Fish, Wildlife, and Plants chapter.

Lake Champlain is threatened by non-native aquatic species known to occur in connected waterways such as the St. Lawrence Seaway, which has more than 85, the Great Lakes with close to 190, and the Hudson River Basin with more than 90. AIS that exist in these waterways include the spiny waterflea, quagga mussel, round goby, and the fish disease viral hemorrhagic septicemia. Other threats in the region include hydrilla, snakehead, and Chinese mitten crab.

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Management Plans

The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) is involved in regional and national coordination to prevent the introduction and spread of AIS. The Lake Champlain Basin Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan was revised and approved by the National Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force in 2005. The LCBP and its partners belong to the Northeast ANS Panel, one of six regional panels of the ANS Task Force, which is co-chaired by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). New York also has an approved Adirondack Park Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan. These management plans call for technical and financial assistance to local groups working in partnership with regional, state, provincial, and federal resource management agencies on invasive species management as well as strong public involvement. Objectives of these plans include strengthening coordination for plan implementation; increasing public education and outreach; enhancing detection, monitoring, and research; and developing, prioritizing, and implementing AIS management actions and rapid responses. Ongoing implementation of these plans aims to reduce and slow the introduction and spread of AIS to the Basin. These management plans are important companion documents to Opportunities for Action (OFA), as priority actions in all of these regional AIS management plans are closely aligned.

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Rapid Response

The introduction of a new AIS or spread of existing AIS to a new location in the Lake Champlain Basin may warrant rapid response actions to remove the species before it becomes established and causes harm to the environment, economy, or human health. The LCBP Steering Committee approved the Lake Champlain Basin Rapid Response Action Plan for Aquatic Invasive Species in May 2009; it recommends the formation of a Rapid Response Task Force to quickly respond to and control, if possible, any new AIS infestations in the Lake Champlain Basin. The Plan identifies a lead agency for each jurisdiction, responsible for engaging and working with all appropriate federal, state, and local agencies to identify partner roles, as well as coordinate any permitting activities. The plan calls for sharing expertise, staff, and equipment to eradicate new AIS or prevent the spread of existing AIS to new locations, regardless of where it occurs in the basin. Members of the Rapid Response Task Force would respond to a new infestation to confirm species identification, delineate the extent of the infestation, and conduct a species risk assessment to determine what control actions may be technically, economically, and socially feasible. The plan recommends the use of the Incident Command System in the US section of the Lake – a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards incident management approach that is part of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Incident Management System – in any rapid response control action that involves multiple stakeholders and jurisdictions within the Lake Champlain Basin.

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AIS Laws and Rules

AIS laws and policies have been developed to address multiple pathways of introduction. Vermont and New York implemented baitfish regulations in 2007 to prohibit the movement of baitfish from one body of water to another to prevent the spread and introduction of aquatic invasive baitfish and any diseases or pathogens they might carry. Anglers may purchase and transport certified bait to one body of water within a specified time for use only on that specified water body. Once there, baitfish may be stored for use, but may not be transported to another body of water. Any harvested live bait can be used only on the body of water from which it was harvested. Vermont joined Alaska in 2010 by passing a law that bans the use of felt-soled waders or boots, on which AIS such as didymo (or “rock snot”) and New Zealand Mud Snail might be transported, in all Vermont waters; this law takes effect on April 1, 2011. Other states such as Montana, Oregon, and Maryland are also considering felt soled wader bans. Additionally, as of July 1, 2010 it is illegal to transport any aquatic plants, zebra mussels, or quagga mussels overland on a boat or trailer in the state of Vermont; New York is considering a similar transport law. The development and implementation of rules and regulations that prevent the spread and introduction of AIS also help to inform the public about these pathways and support citizen behavioral changes.

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Spread Prevention

The first objective in AIS management is to prevent introductions. Once AIS enter the Basin and become established, however, preventing their spread to other bodies of water requires strong education and outreach campaigns as well as partnerships between local, state, provincial, and federal agencies and organizations for management.

The LCBP has worked in partnership with the New York State Canal Corporation (NYSCC) to address the threat of AIS spread through the Champlain Canal. Canals are the leading pathway of AIS introduction to Lake Champlain, and they may in turn serve as a route for AIS to move from Lake Champlain to the Hudson River Basin and St. Lawrence Seaway. LCBP partners are working together to support an AIS feasibility study for a barrier within the Champlain Canal.

The LCBP has continued to support the successful Lake Champlain Boat Launch Steward Program since its inception in 2007. Lake Champlain annually attracts users from around the United States and Canada who trailer vessels and bring equipment that may be carrying AIS from other areas. The Boat Launch Steward Program places stewards at high-use New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (VTFWD) Lake Champlain boat launches to conduct courtesy boat inspections for AIS and gather information about which water bodies boat-launch users come from and if they take any measures to prevent the spread of AIS. Data from the 2009 field season indicated that more than 4 percent of boaters that launched or retrieved their boats in Lake Champlain had AIS on their boats, trailers, or recreational equipment. Public behavior change to check, clean, and dry all vessels, boats, and equipment can reduce the risk of AIS introductions and spread.

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AIS Management in the Basin

LCBP and partners have been working for decades to manage aquatic invasive fish and animals in the Basin. Management of AIS is complicated by limited knowledge concerning the presence and extent of many of these species within the Basin and the impact that introduced species have on indigenous species, habitats, and the food web. While measurable impacts of AIS to the environment and economy are hard to track, invasive species are a leading known cause of biodiversity loss, second only to habitat loss (Wilson 2006).

Adequate information based on surveys and monitoring programs is essential to forming effective management strategies for AIS. Evaluating technologies that exclude or eliminate these species and coordinated research and management efforts outside the Basin are also important to implementing the Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan. The LCBP has an AIS Subcommittee comprised of technical experts from federal, state, and provincial agencies; research and academic institutions; environmental nonprofit organizations; and local river and watershed organizations that meet to discuss and share AIS management techniques, research, policy, and public outreach strategies.

In order to make the best possible management decisions, it is necessary to understand the effectiveness, cost, and secondary impacts of AIS control strategies. The implementation of a control strategy must incorporate research as well as pre- and post-management monitoring. All control strategies, long-term or experimental, should be continually reevaluated for their efficacy in achieving management goals.

The water chestnut partnership management program provides a useful example of how control strategies support management goals. Water chestnut displaces other aquatic plant species, is of little food value to wildlife, and forms dense vegetative mats that alter aquatic habitat and interfere with recreational activities. In 1998, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), NYSDEC, and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) established a cooperative partnership to reduce the negative impacts and prevent the further spread of water chestnut in Lake Champlain and other Basin waters. Partners have been able to reduce the number of infested sites within the Lake by using a combination of mechanical harvesting and hand-pulling; in 2009, sixteen out of eighty-five sites were found to be free of water chestnut (Hunt and Marangelo 2010). Additionally, the water chestnut population in Red Rock Bay off Burlington, Vermont, was removed in 2009, which marked the first time that area was free of water chestnut since 1982.

The success of AIS programs, such as water chestnut management, is highly dependent on continued financial support and priority commitments from all partners involved. LCBP and partners are developing an integrated AIS management approach to be able to respond to new infestations and the spread of AIS, prevent the introduction and establishment of new species, and educate the public about preventing the spread of AIS. Effective AIS management must address AIS introduction pathways (such as canals) through partnerships, overland transport through boat launch steward programs, and the movement of bait through legislation. Managing AIS infestations once they become established is more costly than preventing them. Citizens can do their part by always checking, cleaning, draining, and drying their boats and equipment and never moving any plant or animal species between water bodies or releasing aquarium or other pets into the wild. LCBP and partners are committed to working together to address policy gaps, respond to new and spreading AIS, and raise public awareness in order to protect the species diversity and richness of the Lake Champlain Basin.

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Citations

Hunt, T. and P. Marangelo. 2010. 2009 Water Chestnut Management Program: Lake Champlain and Inland Vermont Waters. VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Waterbury, VT and The Nature Conservancy, West Haven, VT.

Wilson, E.O. 2006. The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth. New York: WW Norton and Company Inc.

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