Thursday, February 22, 2007

Swamp Things

I was searching the 'nets today for information about the giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) infestation in Caddo Lake, Texas, and I was surprised to find that there was already a YouTube video on the the subject. From it, I learned that Caddo Lake is the only naturally formed lake in the state of Texas, that funding is desperately needed to help manage the giant salvinia invasion, and that the trees of the cypress swamp makes it nearly impossible to navigate the invaded areas with anything other than some hip waders and possibly a backpack sprayer full of herbicide.

The video notes that there is no government agency claiming jurisdiction over the lake, which makes getting the resources and funding for management even more difficult. The Caddo Defense Organization, formed back in 2001, is a partnership of several concerned stakeholders, and has plenty of information about the salvinia problem, as well as concerns about water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and other threats to the lake.

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