Lesser Slave Watershed Staff,
For South Peace News.

To help support a healthy watershed, we all need to do our part to protect what we have.

One way to support a healthy, resilient watershed is by learning about invasive species. An invasive species is something that did not naturally evolve in a given location but was instead brought from somewhere exotic.

There are two definitions of invasives. Noxious species are ones that we aim to control and prevent from spreading. Prohibited Noxious, on the other hand, are species that must be eradicated and destroyed.

Some pathways to spread include:

Hitchhiking

Seeds are quick to spread in soiled and muddy tires, grab onto soft clothing or bags, and more. By sticking to trails, invasives can only establish where folks frequent, helping to keep tabs on the situation.

When possible, brush and clean off clothing, boots, tires, and anything that could have a hidden invader close to the area where you picked it up. Seed or microscopic versions of a species can get picked up and be carried in a small nook on a piece of equipment. It is vital that we clean, drain and dry all our equipment from waterbody to waterbody to prevent cross contamination!

Try to use local firewood when camping and try to leave behind as much nature as possible.

Transplanting

Just like in the olden days, folks will want to bring with them little pieces of home, or something they thought was cool, unique or pretty from elsewhere.

Unfortunately, there could be any number of invaders attached to something like a pinecone, or the plant itself!

Before you consider translocating a plant or species, please be sure to check if it could cause harm in the new place!

Dumping Unwanted Pets

Dumping pets can have incredibly negative impacts on local systems.

People will decide that they are done with having a pet goldfish or decide to flush a dead goldfish. They will sometimes drop a fish off in a natural or manmade waterbody for a new life. We always encourage folks not to do this! These fish can survive the pipes! Fish will survive and thrive in the wild. Goldfish have a knack for growing as large as they can, making for giant invasive goldfish. Please rehome fish and bury them when the time comes.

With so many pathways to spread, it might feel like we are without tools to control invasive infestations. Luckily, there is an easy-to-use app to help report invasive species. EDDMaos is available for free and is for anyone to use! This app will take your observations and information about the infestation and report it to the person in charge of that land to keep an eye on it and control the infestation! Once a spot has been controlled or eradicated of its problem species, the authority over the land is supposed to monitor the site for five years.

This is a way for everyone to do their part in trying to help control invasive species.