giant salvinia survey: 2003-2006
Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is an aggressive,
invasive, exotic aquatic weed listed on the Federal Noxious Weed
List. It reproduces vegetatively by fragmentation and rapidly
colonizes new areas, forming thick floating mats of vegetation which
clog waterways, deplete oxygen, and interfere with navigation,
irrigation, and recreational water use. Giant Salvinia constitutes a
serious threat to the Southeastern United States. It is known to be
present in the aquatic plant trade and has become established in
Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Texas/Louisiana border. It has been
found in water gardens and artificial ponds in North Carolina and
other southern states. A substantial portion of the southern and
southeastern U.S. is likely vulnerable to invasion by Giant Salvinia.
Giant Salvinia is an aggressive colonizer of lakes, ponds, swamps,
and slow-moving streams. Under favorable conditions it can double
its biomass in 2.2 days. Plant fragmentation, dispersed by wind and
wave action, leads to rapid movement and expansion once a population
becomes established. Most of Kentucky's many recreational areas and
state parks feature large bodies of water used for recreational
boating and fishing. If Giant Salvinia were to become established,
millions of dollars in tourism and recreation would be lost to the
state and private owners. In addition, many of Kentucky's cities
depend on reservoirs, lakes, and/or rivers such as the Ohio and
Kentucky Rivers for drinking water. The cost of processing and water
treatment would be heavily impacted if Giant Salvinia were to become
established in these bodies of water.
2003-2006
Visual survey from a john boat moving close to the shore is the method used in Giant Salvinia surveys. In 2003, we concentrated on all of Kentucky's Lake Cumberland shoreline areas. In 2004, we surveyed a number of smaller lakes: Herrington Lake (Mercer and Garrard Co.), Barren River Lake (Allen and Barren Co.), Dale Hollow Lake (Clinton and Cumberland Co.), and Taylorsville Lake (Spencer Co.). In 2005, we concentrated on the two lakes that make up the Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area in western Kentucky. In 2006, we surveyed Laurel Lake in southern Kentucky and Green River Lake in central Kentucky. Giant Salvinia has never been found in the state of Kentucky.
