Mahlongwana River water lettuce crisis returns
Despite the best efforts to eradicate the pesky surface-based plant last year, growth has resumed and visible increases have been noted.
CONSERVATIONISTS’ worst fears might have been realised yet again as the dreaded water lettuce, which clogged the Mahlongwana River last year, has returned.
Despite the best efforts to eradicate the pesky surface-based plant last year, growth has resumed and visible increases have been noted.
However, Clansthal Conservancy is hard at work to get it back under control.
Aided by the metro department, the conservancy has been granted 10 kilograms of the required poison which, over the last few weeks, has been used in an attempt to kill off the plant; a second batch of the same poison has been obtained and is being applied.
A new, different, poison has also been donated. However, its toxicity and suitability are still to be determined.
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The conservancy has noted that they are concerned with the growth of the lettuce and believe that the growth rate would have increased only if there were an increase in the level of nutrients in the river.
Water lettuce poses a serious risk to the river’s ecosystem, owing to its ability to grow rapidly.
In order to sustain its growth, the plant drains oxygen from the river and, once the surface is covered entirely, various species of aquatic life start to die.
This caused great concern last year, when many species of fish were found, dead and washed up on the beach.
Should the poison provided by the relevant metro department not prove successful, the South African Sugarcane Research Institute has offered to provide the conservancy with vectors, which have previously been used to treat the invasive plant.
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