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Aquatic Plant Management
Contents
- Vegetation Surveys
- Native Species
- Invasive Species
- Chemical Control of aquatic plants
- Mechanical Control aquatic plants
Vegetation Surveys
A vegetation survey of the entire length of the Royal and Grand Canals, the Barrow Navigation, and the Shannon Erne Waterway is undertaken every year. Vegetation surveys are also a key component of any fisheries development project. Where appropriate the survey is conducted by boat and provides an opportunity to assess the status of the vegetation prior to or immediately post the implementation of the agreed aquatic weed control programmes. An emphasis is placed on a number of items:
- the overall status of aquatic plant communities in these recreational waterways;
- the extent of channel encroachment by tall emergent reed species and the specific locations of the most obstructed areas;
- the nature and spread of troublesome aquatic plant species, most notably those that impair water-based amenity activities;
- the precise locations of specific aquatic weed problems;
- areas of channel where erosion was significant and where bankside stabilisation using living reeds would be beneficial
The surveys also provide the opportunity to select sites which could be used in on-going trials aimed at assessing the efficacy and long-term efficiency of the chemical and mechanical control methods.
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