American Pondweed

American Pondweed Description

American pondweed (Potamogeton nodosus) is a perennial plant that has both submerged and floating oval shaped leaves, which are typically 4-7 inches long and can be up to 2 inches wide. The leaves of an American pondweed are arranged in an alternated pattern on slender stems. Although submerged leave are not abundant, they are blade-like, somewhat transparent and much smaller than the floating leaves.

American Pondweed

American Pondweed Identification

• Dark green forking leaves, up to 1-2 inches in length arranged in whorls on the stem
• Submersed plant without roots
• Plants may be bushy or very long and sparse
• Feathery leaves on the stem resemble a raccoon’s tail. The stems can be 1 to 2 feet in length.
• The leaf has small teeth on the midribs, which make it rough to the touch
• It has very small flowers that are rarely seen

Controlling American Pondweed

Controlling American Pondweed can be accomplished with aquatic herbicides (chemicals), mechanically by harvesting or naturally using the Clean-Flo inversion / oxygenation system and program. Our system improves water quality, reduce available nutrients, increases oxygen and controls nuisance plant growth. Systems are custom designed based on specific characteristics of any given water body. The key to controlling invasive weed and algae growth is to control available nutrients in the water column and eliminate organic muck at the bottom of a lake or pond. Muck typically accumulates over time from decaying and dead plant material, animal and fish waste, leaves and grass clippings, leaking septic systems and watershed inputs.

A Clean-Flo system continually oxygenates and circulates the water body to eliminate stagnant, anaerobic and odorous conditions.  Water quality is improved quickly and a biological augmentation program, consisting of the addition of food grade enzymes, micro-nutrients, and microbes, are applied to the water body to break down and reduce the organic and decaying muck sediment at the bottom. Organic muck is very high in nutrient content, so reducing it is a major objective of any pond or lake restoration program. Bioaugmentation will also convert nutrients into beneficial forms of algae, such as diatoms, which become food for fish. Fish and other aquatic life increases, fish reproduce better and the water body becomes healthier, more appealing and cleaner for all uses.