Publication Summary

The need for Aquatic Plant Management Aquatic plants are a valuable component of aquatic ecosystems that in normal situations require protection. Like algae, aquatic plants are a vital part of a watershed system because they provide cover, habitat and food for many species of aquatic biota, fish and wildlife.

The need for Aquatic Plant Management Aquatic plants are a valuable component of aquatic ecosystems that in normal situations require protection. Like algae, aquatic plants are a vital part of a watershed system because they provide cover, habitat and food for many species of aquatic biota, fish and wildlife.

Aquatic plants also limit certain lake uses. Too many rooted and floating plants can degrade water quality, impair certain fisheries, block intakes that supply water for domestic or agricultural purposes, and interfere with navigation, recreation and aesthetics. In addition, noxious aquatic plant species such as Eurasian watermilfoil can form dense populations that may pose safety problems for swimmers and boaters and can degrade wildlife habitat by out-competing native species or changing water chemistry.

Consequently, Ecology's Water Quality Program receives requests for permits from various entities to use herbicides and other control methods to manage excessive native and noxious aquatic plant species and algae in various waterbodies. In response to these requests and in accordance with the provisions of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), Ecology determined that aquatic plant management by these methods may have significant adverse environmental impacts, and that an Environmental Impact Statement was necessary.