Native Underwater Grass Identification & Mapping via Canoes

Native underwater grasses found in the area include mostly hydrilla (Hv) and horned pondweed (Zp) in the shallows, 0.5 m deep or less at low tide, and coontail Cd at some sites. The main limiting factors for SAV here appeared to be poor water clarity (Secchi depth was 0.35-0.4 m with little recent rain) and current velocity (larger beds were found in areas away from the main current, usually very close to the emergent wetland plants, where there were also more extensive shallows caused by settling of sediments there). Hydrilla seems to be gradually taking over many of the SAV beds in the area, so the wild celery planted on June 12 will have to outgrow it to survive.

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