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Vigorous Growth of Curly Leaf Pondweed
Due to unseasonably warm weather this past winter, annual vegetation in the northeast has come into full bloom much sooner than usual, and that includes aquatic vegetation.
Curly-leaf pondweed is experiencing vigorous growth and typically it would begin to die off around July, but this year it should be around June instead.
According to Jeff Diers, Chautauqua Lake watershed coordinator, this excessive growth of curly-leaf pondweed could however help to improve the overall level of submerged aquatic plants later in the year. How? The caddis-fly, an aquatic herbivore uses the curly-leaf by laying eggs on the top of the flower part of the plant. More plants, more eggs, more insects.
Caddis-flies particularly like to consume Eurasian milfoil, which is typically a plant of great concern in Chautauqua Lake. The flies may actually help to control the Eurasian milfoil this summer.
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