Club: Help Us Remove Water Chestnuts

Editor's note: The following is from the Knee Deep Club.

The water chestnut grows and spreads so fast that it often makes the water body unusable for any recreation by the time the public becomes aware that it is there.

One water chestnut seed that takes root will quickly spread at a frightening rate. When it sprouts it reaches the surface, forming a cluster of leaves called a rosette and will eventually grow up to 10-15 rosettes. Each rosette produces up to 20 seeds. One single seed can quickly grow into acres in just a couple of years. 

The Knee Deep Club is once again organizing its Water Scouts volunteers to paddle the shoreline of Lake Hopatcong to identify the water chestnut, an invasive aquatic species that is wreaking havoc on nearby Lake Musconetcong. The water scouts will don their bright yellow hats while conducting the water chestnut survey in their kayaks and canoes from June 17 through July 5. 

Knee Deep Club Water Scouts Coordinator Tim Clancy opted for a later start date for the survey this year to ensure the invasive plant is visible for easy detection. The later start date will still allow for ample time for trained volunteers to carefully remove any plants before the August 1 date that is needed for the water chestnut seeds to become viable. 

The club, concerned about the water chestnut's rapid spread and takeover of nearby Lake Musconetcong, initiated the Water Scouts effort in 2010. According to Clancy, many of the 70 dedicated Water Scouts volunteers from last year are returning, but more volunteers can only help. Interested individuals familiar with Lake Hopatcong can contact the coordinator at tim.clancy@verizon.net. Clancy is also available to give presentations to other lake communities that are looking to organize efforts to combat the spread of Water Chestnut to their water body.