Texas game wardens are issuing a warning to anyone out on lakes and rivers around the state. Failure to properly clean boats and equipment can spread invasive species and result in penalties.
This is because uncleanliness can lead to the spread of invasive plants.
According to Texas Game Wardens, certain invasive plants can cover lakes, blocking sunlight and oxygen and damaging aquatic life below the surface. Officials say the species can spread quickly if boaters do not properly clean, drain and dry their boats and gear after visiting an infested body of water.
It comes after game wardens said they had issued a warning after an invasive plant became attached to the trailer of a duck hunter on Lake Bois d’Arc recently. Officials said the hunter had previously ventured into the infested lake and brought giant locust trees and water hyacinths to the Bois d’Arc lake.
Members of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Inland Fisheries Division spent time collecting invasive plants on the lake to try to prevent them from taking hold.
Officials say these invasive species can grow quickly under ideal conditions. Texas game wardens say a one-acre giant locust tree can double in size to two acres in just one week.
What do you need to know about giant locust trees and water hyacinths?
Giant sophora, a floating fern native to southern Brazil, is one of the problematic plants in Texas, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. TPWD says it harms aquatic ecosystems by growing and displacing environmentally beneficial plants native to Texas. You can read more about Giant Salvinia here. Water hyacinths, native to South America, can form dense colonies in bodies of water that block sunlight and can crowd out native species.
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