Vegetative growth of aquatic plant over river

Plants are natural and important components of the aquatic environment. Microscopic plants (algae) form the base of the aquatic food chain. Larger algae and plants provide habitat for fish and food organisms, and all plants produce oxygen as they photosynthesize during the daylight hours. However, excessive growths of these plants can have a detrimental effect on a body of water and its inhabitants. Many shallow, nutrient-rich ponds, lakes, and drainage ditches provide ideal conditions for abundant aquatic weed growth.

Some of the problems caused by aquatic weeds are as follows:

• Interfere with or prohibit recreational activities such as swimming, fishing, and boating.
• Detract from the aesthetic appeal of a body of water.
• Stunt or interfere with a balanced fish population.
• Fish kills due to removal of too much oxygen from the water. Oxygen depletion occurs when plants die and decompose. Photosynthetic production of oxygen ceases, and the bacteria, which break down the plant material, use oxygen in their own respiration. Fish kills in summer are frequently caused by die-offs of algae blooms. Fish kills in winter occur when snow accumulates on ice cover. Light is blocked thus preventing photosynthesis by any living plants or algae. Decomposition of plants that died in the fall causes further oxygen depletion. Fish kills also can be caused by insecticide runoff, ammonia runoff from feedlots, and diseases.
• Produce quiet water areas that are ideal for mosquito breeding.
• Certain algae can give water bad tastes and odors.
• Impede water flow in drainage ditches, irrigation canals, and culverts, causing water to back up.
• Deposition of weeds, sediment, and debris, can bodies of water to fill in.