AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES (ANS)

Invasive Phragmites

• Invasive phragmites are native to Europe with strains likely introduced to the U.S. during the 1800s in ship ballast water.

• It is a tall, perennial grass that can grow 15 feet or more in height. Stems are light tan in color and hollow. Leaves are blue green in color, flat and wide. Flower heads are dense, fluffy, and gray or purple in color.

• It is a fast-growing plant that forms dense stands that consume available growing space and push out native plants that are vital to birds, fish and wildlife. It degrades wetland and wildlife habitats with dense growth, thus reducing critical resources for birds and other wildlife. Dense stands impede the movement of boaters, fish and wildlife. Large populations alter hydrology, dry up wetlands, impede water movement, and increase the potential of fire risks.

• Invasive Phragmites spread predominantly through seed dispersal – seeds are dispersed from November through January and each seed head can produce up to 2,000 seeds. It can spread to new areas when fragments break off a parent plant and are moved to a new location where they can root. This can happen through natural events such as wind and water. Humans can also unintentionally disperse seeds via contaminated equipment, gear or boats. It easily colonizes muddy soil in disturbed and open areas free of competitors.

• Well-established stands are difficult to control. Herbicide treatments containing glyphosate and imazapyr can be used to control and reduce large populations. Herbicide treatments in conjunction with prescribed fire, mechanical pulling or cutting, and flooding can be used to control, but treatments usually need to be repeated annually to control dense stands. Thoroughly inspect equipment, gear and boats for loose vegetation and remove.

Rusty Crayfish

• The normal distribution of the rusty crayfish includes Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. In recent years, its distribution has expanded because of the use of live crayfish as fishing bait. The rusty crayfish was recently found for the first time in Kansas in McPherson State Fishing Lake.

• Rusty crayfish have large, blacktipped claws and rust-colored spots on its carapace.

• Rusty crayfish displace native crayfish, and destroy plant bed abundance and diversity.

• Since females carry fertilized eggs, this species can spread very easily.

CURLY-LEAF PONDWEED

• Curly-leaf pondweed is a native to Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. By 1950, curly-leaf pondweed had infested most of the U.S.

• Curly-leaf pondweed is a fast growing perennial with a flattened and sometimes branching stem. It is 1 to 3 inches long and mostly 1/8 of an inch wide. The leaves are simple, long, narrow and attached directly to the stem. The flowers are brownish and inconspicuous and usually occur from May to October.

• In the spring, it forms dense mats which interfere with recreation and limit the growth of native aquatic plants. This plant does die back in mid-summer.

• Mechanical, biological, and chemical control techniques can be effective. Contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture for specific recommendations. Early detection of isolated populations may help prevent their spread. Your help to report new sightings and to prevent their spread is vital.

WILD-CAUGHT BAIT

Live baitfish, crayfish, leeches, amphibians, and mussels may be caught and used as live bait only within the common drainage where caught. However, bluegill and green sunfish collected from non-designated aquatic nuisance waters may be possessed or used as live bait anywhere. Live baitfish shall not be transported and used above any upstream dam or barrier that prohibits the normal passage of fish. Live baitfish collected from designated aquatic nuisance waters shall be possessed or used as live bait only while on that water and shall not be transported from the water alive.