Invasive Species Spreading
Water chestnut found by LCC on Alice Lake. Photo by Mike Winslow.
New invasive species were found in three lakes in our region this past summer: Indian Lake, Lake Bomoseen, and Lake Alice. Spiny water flea were found in Indian Lake. This lake is in the Adirondack Park, but outside the Lake Champlain watershed. Asian clams were discovered in Lake Bomoseen in Rutland County, Vermont. LCC Staff Scientist Mike Winslow discovered a nascent population of the highly invasive water chestnut in Alice Lake in Chazy, NY during LCC August surveys for invasive species. We removed 109 plants and hopefully quashed the population before it became established. Once established invasive species are nearly impossible to eradicate.
An additional water chestnut population was found in the St. Albans Bay marshes during LCC's survey work. The three new populations in the Champlain Basin triggered alerts to the Lake Champlain Rapid Response Task Force, a group LCC helped found. The task force is responsible for assessing the extent of invasion and determining whether the populations can be controlled.
