02-07-1977 Planning Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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national Leaflot 6 ifths of rootfd the organiM ateat ain^e patible urith i health* aquatic nui- fe populationa h-foraa* ibnerged leavea id aay ha^e ;tOB but have lute planta he botton and A water, along > kinda that aay ind boating* eapeciallj if a lich will eXiainata litiona for renniala that It aagr , water milfoil »d (Hajaa) and serged aquatic luced leavea — tton and grow mdwaeda, in* 1* Often theaa ir bird after Seeda, parta of mi f. rl. r ■ -1 ’f . l!< V • ^ . --vV MM -2- pXaata, and even whole planta, in the caae of duckweed, nay alao be tranaported on kha feat and feathara of waterfowl* Becauae of thia, auitabla areaa are aoon ra- lAantad if the planta growing in then are deatrojed* Some kinda, auch aa cattaila and cane, have aeeda carried by the wind* The atena of nany kinda of aubnerged planta form roota and grow if they drift into ahallow water after being cut or tom looaa by wave action* A^l our aquatic planta, with the exception of two introduced European kinda, are native wild planta* They are the natural vegetation of our watera and not weeda in the ease aenae that nany imported upland planta are weeda* The two European kinda are l-urlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton criapua) and the rare Flowering ruah (ftitonua unbellatua)* - ^Curlyleaf pondweed ia troubleaone in many lakea becauae it propagatea l^om large winter buda and makea rapid growth in i^ring and early aiumDer* The atema are brittle and, after reaching full growth, nay break off in a atorm and drift aahore* Aa the name impliea, the leavea of Curlyleaf pondweed are wavy or criaped* The leaf OMurgin alao haa many fine teeth* Value of Aquatic Plante Aquatic planta have many vailuee to man, fieh, and wildlife even though their growth aometimee reaulta in nuiaance conditiona* All aquatic life ie dependent, directly or indirectly, on water planta* They are the primary producera in the aquatic food chain and convert basic chemical nutrients in the water and soil into food for other kinds of life* Other important values of aquatic plants are: Fish food—Much more food for fish of all kinds is produced in weedy areas than where there are no submerged plants* Insect larvae live on the plants* Freshwater shrimp thrive in plant beds* Sunfish, our commonest game fish, eat some plant material* Hah shelter—Submerged plants provide shelter for young fish and usually nests of bass and sunfishes are located in weedy areas* Northern pike spam in marshy areas in early spring* Fishing is often best on the edge of weed beds* Water purification»«»Submerged plants absorb phosphate, nitrates and other nutrient elements from water and soil as they grow* They compote with the tiny algae for the plant nutrients that cause water to become green in summer* Frequently if too many water weeds are destroyed, a heavy growth or "bloom” of algae follows* Some kinds of water plants, such as rushes, can even absorb and break down polluting chemicals* Water plants, both the large kinds such as water weeds and the tiny algae, give off oxygen and thereby aerate waters* This oxygen is necessary for all fish and other aquatic animal life* Rrotection of shorelines—Aquatic plants, especially kinds such as rushes and reeds, break the force of waves and help prevent erosion of shorelines* Food and shelter of waterfowl—Many of the submerged plants produce seeds and tubers that are eaten by wild ducks* Bulrushes and sago pondweed are especiedly valuable and are often planted for this purpose* Bulrushes and reeds also provide excellent shelter for broods of ducklings* Esthetic values—Several kinds of water plmts have flowers that people enjoy* The yellow lotus is a protected wild flower* There are six kinds of native waterlilies, all of which have beautiful flowers* Arrowhead and pickerelweed are both as oma* mental as many garden plants* The "natural look" of a lakeshore should include aquatic plants* They are part of the ecology of the lake* r’t ; »IS'*: II. ' \'\ V ■ 0 Economic val Are hand har of Minnesota 1100 millioo Excessi aquatic plan need a suits The kin the abundanc necessary fo cium, etc* the surround through the ground water as southern than are wat trients accu The pat the nutrient Ikiring perio creased runo little rainf plant* growth growth by mai of water pla Activit vation and f of aquatic pi ceive* Nutr: drainage froi and livested these reasoni may sometimei Water d< require ligh1 grow well in bid or colors than 15 feet, that are comj laay become sc submerged aqi trients conti soil in shall up of the bot Rooted p quite specifi soil and sand accumulates o