Over the next several weeks you may see some bright red liquid in the tributaries of the Connecticut River - do not be alarmed!
The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in cooperation with the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station (CAES), will soon begin releasing a non-toxic red dye in order to study the patterns of water flow. This study is being done as Phase I of testing that will eventually help the two groups finds ways to manage hydrilla in our waterways.
As I have reported many times before, hydrilla (hydrilla verticillata) is a pernicious invasive plant that is choking lakes, ponds, and streams - and a significant part of the Connecticut River. Management of the plant is extremely difficult, and its rapid spread is devastating to the ecosystem, recreational boaters, and businesses that depend on our environment.
Please feel free to join me and representatives from CAES, USACE, the CT River Conservancy, RiverCOG, and marina businesses at a press conference on this subject on Wed., Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. at Petzold’s Chester Boat Basin, 226 Middlesex Avenue, Chester.
Experts will address how these species cause ecological and economic harm, talk about the different research and removal projects being conducted in the Connecticut River, introduce the newly formed Office of Aquatic Invasive Species, and offer methods of prevention.
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