Hoods Lagoon aquatic weed clearing Clermont

Published on 15 March 2022

Isaac Regional Council advises residents that a clearing plan will begin this month to remove the free-floating aquatic Salvinia weed at Hoods Lagoon.

Council will use integrated best management practices to control the spread of the invasive weed:

• Mechanical removal of large dense shallow mats.
• Strategic spraying where the Salvinia is dense and mechanical removal is unsafe and or inhibited by native plants.
• Sourcing and introduction of the Salvinia Weevil (Cyrtobagous salviniae). The weevil will help manage the Salvinia in warmer months however goes dormant/dies off in autumn and winter.

The weed known as ‘Salvinia (Salvinia molesta)’ is a restricted plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014 and it is also identified in the Isaac Region Biosecurity Plan 2020-2023 as a priority species.

This is the first recorded infestation of Salvinia in Clermont and poses significant risk to the environmental and social amenity of Hoods Lagoon.

Salvinia reproduces vegetatively (no flowers or seeds), and in optimal conditions can double in size every 2-3 days. Salvinia can rapidly spready to cover the surface of water bodies, successfully blocking light and killing aquatic plants and fish.

If you have suspected Salvinia, please contact Council on 1300 ISAACS (1300 472 227) for information on identification and management to ensure that we can effectively protect our important water assets.

For further information on this weed please see https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/weeds-diseases/invasive-plants/restricted/salvinia

Jeff Stewart-Harris PSM
Chief Executive Officer