Water Soldier has been marching its way down the Trent River since 2008, when it was found near the hamlet of Trent River. In 2021 it was detected in the Bay of Quinte. The Bay of Quinte is prime habitat as the plant grows in standing or slow flowing waterbodies up to depths of five metres. This plant will have a major impact on the ecosystem, because of the dense mats of floating vegetation it creates. Also, it has the potential to alter surrounding water chemistry, which may harm phytoplankton (the base of the food chain) and other aquatic organisms.
Water soldier is a cold tolerant invasive perennial aquatic plant that is native to Europe and northwest Asia. Water soldier is a submerged aquatic plant which has 40cm long sword shaped leaves with serrated edges that are sharp enough to cut swimmers or anyone handling the plant. Generally, the plant becomes buoyant during the summer months forming dense mats of floating vegetation that choke out native species and are so thick that some boats can’t move through the mats. As the leaves mature, they become waterlogged and the plant sinks below the surface. The mature plants produce offsets, like a household spider plant. However, in the Bay of Quinte there is limited presence during the summer months then populations emerge in early September.
What has been done to stop the spread of this invader? Several management strategies are used to control Water Soldier the most effective are hand pulling, and herbicide applications. This year, OFAH invasive species summer students pulled over 2,507 lbs. of the plant from the bay. This fall herbicide applications will target larger populations of the plant around the bay. Unfortunately, now that Water Soldier is established in the bay, there must be ongoing management which is time-consuming and expensive.
What can you do to help stop the spread? First learn to identify Water Soldier. Private citizens can help by hand pulling populations they find along shorelines, or while boating or fishing. The IF YOU SEE IT, PULL IT! video below explains the process.
Other ways you can help are, boaters can avoid infested areas, reduce boat speeds so the wake doesn’t dislodge plants and offsets, and inspect their boat, trailer, and equipment to ensure they don’t move the plant to another waterbody. Shoreline property owners on the Bay of Quinte can report any sightings of Water Soldier to 1-800-563-7711 or visit EDDMapS Ontario, or search for the ‘Invasive Species in Ontario’ project on iNaturalist.org to report a sighting.
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