It is found in places such as the Ottawa River, the Rivière-des-Prairies, in the St. Lawrence and in more than 50 lakes in the Laurentians and in more than 200 lakes in the province of Québec. Thank God, none in Argenteuil.
I’m talking about Eurasian Watermilfoil, this invasive exotic plant that constitutes our main threat because once it has been introduced in a lake, it is impossible to get rid of it.
Some manage to control it but at a very high cost.
What do we need to do to avoid this scourge? Simple: wash the boats. Thoroughly.
Carefully wash all boats such as rowboats, canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, as well as fishing gear and electric motors that have been used outside of our watershed before putting them in the lake.
Wash the ones you used elsewhere than Dunany. Those brought by family members, guests and especially your tenants before putting them in your lake.
Here is how to proceed? Follow these four steps: inspect – drain – clean – dry
- Inspection is the most important. If you look carefully, you will locate even small fragments of the plant.
- Drain to make sure there is no leftover water at the bottom of your kayak, for example.
- Clean with fresh water and a bit of bleach.
- Finally, let dry in the sun.
All this should evidently be done at a good distance from the lake.
Since an image is worth a thousand words, look at what this plant can do to a lake.
This gesture will also have the effect of preventing the invasion of other unwanted plants and molluscs in our lakes, the water chestnut being one of them. If I emphasize the Eurasian Watermillfoil, it is because it is by far the most damaging and is impossible to eradicate.
This prevention approach should be seen as an insurance policy. Even if the risk of fire in a house is low, no one would think of doing without one. A low risk maybe, but a huge cost when misfortune strikes.
As they say: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
They are good friends of a Clear Lake resident who communicated their coordinates to me. They thus got the message and we will meet them shortly. We think alike. Be well.
Thank you for thus important information, Jacques. Would someone be able to provide a paper copy of thus to our new neighbours at Smith’s property via a piece of mail at their door so that they can see it before introducing any watercraft to Clear Lake? We will not be there until late June
Thank you for the useful article, Jacques. Our boats never leave our place, so we are good.
Your important message needs to reach the short-term renters, who likely pose the greatest risk to our lakes.
Thank you, Jacques, for reminding everyone of this important information to protect all our precious lakes.
Thanks for the alert. We simply do not let boats from elsewhere near our property.
Thanks Jacques for your timely message. We all need to be vigilant as these types of growth can kill a small lake.
Thanks Jacques for this wonderful warning and extensive explanation. It would be horrible if ever our lakes were infected with this scourge. As one who still gets his water from the lake, I’m doubly concerned.