Hello lovers of Lake Pend Oreille,

At this time of year, you may not be thinking about the lake as much as you might in the summer, but it's important to keep our life giving lake in our minds year round. After all, all of this lovely snow will melt and end up in our lake once the seasons change again. We would like to get you thinking about some important issues that affect Lake Pend Oreille; some that you can prepare for and some that you can act on right now! As your mind drifts to a season full of recreation on the water, you should know about the Aquatic Invasive Species that have made their way into the lake and how you can help prevent their spread. Also, we hope you enjoy the info about the WaterkeeperAlliance of which we are a member organization. Finally, we are at an important time legislatively, and we need your help to keep the Clean Water Act strong. In our next issue, we will discuss other invasive species and share some accomplishments of other regional Waterkeepers.  

Thank you for caring and taking a moment to be informed!

What is the deal with all of these weeds in the lake anyway?

Lake Pend Oreille, like many other water bodies, has its fair share of Aquatic Invasive Plant Species, or what you could simply call weeds. These non-native plants have found their way into the lake and other related waterways primarily through boat transport. Invasive weeds have a competitive edge over native vegetation due to a lack of natural pathogens, predators, and/or competitors. They're basically like kids in a candy store. One of the more noticeable invaders of our lake is Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM). EWM is a native of Europe, Asia and Northern Africa and was introduced into the United States in the late 1800's through the Aquarium Trade.  Source

You may have seen it at boat launches or in swimming areas. If you've seen it, you're probably annoyed by it. EWM can form dense mats in shallow areas making it difficult, if not impossible, to swim, fish or use your boat. Not only is EWM a recreational hazard, it also degrades water quality by increasing pH and decreasing oxygen concentration.

Is that EWM or native milfoil?

Eurasian watermilfoil is a submersed perennial plant that has fine feather-like leaves, arranged in whorls of four. The leaf generally has 12 or more leaflet pairs, while the native Northern watermilfoil that has fewer than 12 leaflet pairs.

What can you do?

Although EWM can spread from seed, it primarily spreads through a process called "fragmentation," where a piece of the plant the size of a small postage stamp breaks off and can start a new infestation. A piece only about 1/8th of an inch in size can grow into a whole new plant! This means that if you try to pull the weed, the problem will just get worse. If EWM gets caught up on your boat prop or trailer, it's best to remove it so that you don't transport the weed to a new region. But please don't throw the pieces back in the water! If you have a problem with EWM, or think you do, please contact us for more information about how to safely and effectively address it.

The Mussel Dilema

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has boat inspection stations at state line crossings. Every boat needs to stop, questions are asked about where the boat has been and how recently, and usually an inspection of the boat is done on areas where there would have been contact with water. Is this some kind of 'big brother' abuse of our privacy? No, this is actually an attempt to save Idaho, and the entire Columbia River Basin, from one of the nastiest invaders to our aquatic ecosystem: mussels!

Two very similar species of mussels, the Zebra and Quagga Mussel, were introduced to the Great Lakes in the 1990's. They are now found in nearly every major water system in our country, with the exception of the Columbia River Basin, which Lake Pend Oreille is a part of. These mussels attach to hard surfaces and reproduce very rapidly, causing problems for boats, water intakes, and change the structure of ecosystems.

If just infected ONE boat gets into our waters, there is the potential for not only our lake, but the ENTIRE Columbia River watershed from British Columbia to Nevada and Montana to the Pacific Ocean to be infected. In Idaho alone, infection is estimated to cost taxpayers about $100 million per year. The simple way to prevent the spread of these and other aquatic invasive species: Clean, Drain, and Dry your boat before transporting it between water bodies. For more information, follow this link.  

Source: Idaho Department of Agriculture