Elodea - Invasive Waterweed

Elodea News

NOTICE:

DEC has approved the Pesticide Use Application for treating the Elodea infestations in Chena Slough, Chena Lake, and Totchaket Slough with the aquatic herbicide fluridone.

Click here to view the permit. Supporting documents include the Decision Document and Responsiveness Summary.

Elodea Presentation at the Tanana Valley State Fair

On Friday, August 14, Amelia Sikes and Julie Cislo set up a few tables at the Tanana Valley State Fair just inside the entrance of the Ag Hall to display the Elodea trifold, salmon habitat simulation, and Elodea trivia wheel. There was quite a bit of foot traffic passing through to see the agricultural displays in the building. Well over half of the adults had heard of Elodea, whether from word of mouth or through the newspaper. The kids enjoyed the aquarium game and trivia wheel, as usual. We were able to speak with every person that stopped and each person was very interested an attentive to the information presented.

Elodea at the Lake

On July 25th, FSWCD and partners held an educational event to inform community members about Elodea. Read more about the event here or watch a commercial announcing the event here.

Elodea Discovered in Anchorage's Lake Hood

Elodea has recently been discovered in Anchorage's Lake Hood, which is the world's largest floatplane base. Floatplanes very easily spread elodea, so the discovery of elodea there means any of those planes could bring the waterweed to new sites. Read the whole article here.

Elodea Eradication in Fairbanks/North Pole

Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's opinion editorial piece on the proposal to eradicate the invasive water weed Elodea from the Chena waters. Click here to download a presentation from a community information session held on June 18, 2015 in North Pole. For more information about elodea and the plan to eradicate it, please email us with any comments, questions or concerns.

What is Elodea?

This aquatic plant is not native to Alaska. It survives through the winter and can reproduce rapidly from fragments. Elodea will cause serious, irreversible harm to aquatic habitats, results in degraded fisheries if allowed to spread unchecked. It remains submersed and forms tangled masses in lakes, ponds, and slow moving streams. Leaves are arranged in whorls of 3 (occasionally 4) and are densely packed along the stem. Leaves are about 1 cm long and are finely toothed at the edges. The stem is long, slender, generally branched and typically lighter in color than the leaves. Individual plants can vary in appearance, with some robust and others with long inter-nodes.

Elodea is an invasive waterweed that has infested Fairbanks waters. If you find it, please report immediately! Take a sample or photograph, note the location, and call the Alaska Department of Fish & Game's Invasive Species Hotline: 1-877-INVASIV (468-2748)

What Can You Do About Elodea?

This brochure details information about the elodea infestation and what you can do to help.

Elodea Working Group Website

For background information, educational materials, and past presentations on elodea, please visit the Elodea Working Group page on the Fairbanks Cooperative Weed Management Area website. For the most up-to-date information, check back regularly to this page - more resources will be posted soon!