Invasive Species On Lay Lake
Invasive species can cause a variety of problems in freshwater lakes, including:
- Threaten native species: Invasive species can outcompete native species for resources, which can lead to extinctions.
- Degrade habitats: Invasive species can alter habitats and reduce biodiversity.
- Damage infrastructure: Invasive species can damage infrastructure, such as boat motors.
- Spread disease: Invasive species can spread diseases.
- Degrade water quality: Invasive species can decrease water flows, increase runoff and erosion, and reduce the transportation of nutrients.
- Threaten economies: Invasive species can have adverse impacts on local and basin-wide economies.
Learn more about specific invasive species below.
Learn More About Specific Invasive Species
Information provided by APC Aquatic Resource Mgr, Tim McLean.
McLean is an Auburn University graduate, 2005, with a degree in Fisheries. He is part of Alabama Power’s Aquatic Resource Management Group as the aquatic plant management coordinator.
Water Hyacinth
Water hyacinth is a free-floating plant which is one the challenges of managing this plant. It reproduces from seed and asexual reproduction. The beautiful purple flower that it produces only lasts one day before it dips under water where the seeds are incubated around 20 days before they are released.
Hydrilla
Hydrilla is a rooted submersed plant that can grow to depths of 25 feet or more depending on water clarity. It is an extremely aggressive growing plant with the ability to establish itself on a waterbody permanently from fragmentation, turions, and tubers.
Cuban Bulrush
It is believed to have been introduced to the United States in the late 1880’s by migratory birds or water from ship ballast. This plant is an aggressive emergent plant that is predominantly found growing in floating mats. The stems are slender and
triangular. It resembles the look of rye grass growing. When it seeds, these stems can have multiple seed heads that are spherical, about 3/4". It begins by rooting into an existing vegetation mat of another species, eventually overcoming it. These monotypic floating mats will send runners out and will continue choking out emergent vegetations and blocking sunlight to any submersed vegetations, eventually taking the entire area over. We first observed this plant behind the bridge in Beeswax in 2017. Much like our stance on water hyacinth, we strive to keep this plant from becoming
established through our seek and destroy efforts. This plant has moved around on Lay, and we currently have isolated populations from the railroad bridge above the steam plant down to Lay dam. We will continue to be proactive with this plant to prevent
large monotypic stands from developing.
Cuban Bulrush (Oxycaryum cubense)
Native Range: Central and South America
