SUMMER WEED GROWTH IN THE HURON RIVER AT HAMBURG

These photos were taken by Carol Lybarger, Hamburg Township resident and member of the Hamburg Township Flood Prevention Committee, of the weeds in the Huron River at  the Hamburg Road Bridge in Hamburg Township near the USGS Gage Station on Friday afternoon, August 15, 2008.

Of interest are the heavy growths of vegetation/weeds in the river channel. The streamflow rate is presently quite low.

The weeds have been identified by Mike Bitondo, Hamburg Trustee and Flood Prevention Committee Chairman, as Vallisneria Americana, a common, widespread native species, aka wild celery or tape grass.   The Township presently has no plans for weed harvesting of this plant during August 2008 because this heavy growth is not occurring at a normal time of river flooding.(River flooding is most common in May-June.)

During the 2nd week of April, 2008, this stretch of the Huron River was surveyed by members of the Flood Prevention Committee and staff from MDEQ/MDNR in preparation for the 2008 MDNR activities permit.  The water was clear all the way to the bottom of the river channel, with no weeds present.