The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday it’s working with Iowa Lakeside Laboratory to treat the West Okoboji Lake canal for Eurasian Watermilfoil.
Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive aquatic plant that can spread quickly and outcompete native plants. It reproduces by fragmentation, meaning small pieces of it grow into a new plant and form thick beds.
According to the Iowa DNR, a small, isolated population of Eurasian watermilfoil was found in the canal system south of Miller’s Bay. However, it was not found in the main waters of West Okoboji Lake or other lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes chain.
In a release, Andrew Carlson, fisheries biologist for the Iowa DNR, said the two agencies are working together to control the invasive plant by using a milfoil-focused herbicide treatment.
He added acting quickly not only allows them to control the invasive plant but also allows them to protect the aquatic ecosystem.
The Iowa DNR is requesting boaters and other users to be extra cautious to help prevent the spread of the watermilfoil elsewhere in the Iowa Great Lakes chain.
