Bird River Water Chestnut Removal

Type: Tidal
Region: Central
Location: Bird River

On July 3rd Sarah Burton, Rachel Bowers, DNR biologists and I went out with Mark Lewandowski to help remove an invasive plant species from Asia called water chestnuts on the Bird River in Baltimore County. This plant species is bad for the bay because one acre of water chesnuts can produce 100 acres the next year. Also the seeds have four hard half inch long spikes, which if ripe can stab through a persons shoe sole. They can wipe out native grasses to the bay and increase breeding grounds for mosquitos, with poor habitat for native fish species.

The water chesnut removal program has been going on since 1939 when the plant covered 40 river miles in a few years from Washington D.C to Quantico, VA. Since then the population has declined enormously and water chestnuts are only found in the Sassafras and Bird Rivers. The method used more commonly is to remove water chestnuts by hand, which I participated in. This method involves using canoes and jet skis for the larger sections of the river. Two people were in each canoe as we paddled through little creeks and marshy areas off of the main river. The invasive species will get back in those areas and hide with all the other Chesapeake Bay grasses toward the banks. Our job was to maneuver ourselves around, find the water chestnuts and simply pull them out of the Bay floor. The key was to try and grab them by the roots and pull the whole plant out, if you only get the top part of the plant, it could simply grow back next year as the seeds can stay viable for up to twelve years. The only thing you have to watch out for is the seeds, which can stab or cut you pretty badly.

As the day progressed our canoes were piling up with more and more water chestnuts covering where you used to be able to see our feet. Canoes were getting heavier to paddle, not to mention the boiling heat from the sun on the water, but it did feel nice to get in a swim for a quick second. On the other hand once we finished the section of Bird Creek in about five hours or so, then we had to find a spot to plant the water chestnut on land, so the removal was permanent and they would die.

It was a good day on the water, we were told that we removed a good amount of water chestnuts which should help keep the population declining. I couldn't of asked for a better day to spend canoeing on the water. Here are some pictures of water chestnuts, if you see any please remove them by pulling the roots out, then try and find a permanent spot to throw them away. Mark and the rest of us at DNR would highly appreciate your help.