LGLFRO staff and volunteers pull waterchestnut from Tonawanda Creek Park (Photo: Mike Goehle/USFWS)

Volunteers from Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper pull plants (Photo: Mike Goehle/USFWS)

LGLFRO staff and volunteer pull waterchestnut. (Photo: Denise Clay/USFWS)

On August 10, 2008 the Lower Great Lakes Fishery Resources Office (LGLFRO) led the first rapid response control effort for waterchestnut in Tonawanda Creek.  Partners from Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (WNYPRISM), the Army Corps of Engineers - Buffalo District and the public all assisted in the removal effort.  The Erie County Parks and Recreation Department provided logistical support and disposal for the harvested plants.

Despite periods of heavy rain, 17 volunteers and staff pulled 1,881 pounds of waterchestnut in about 3 hours of work.  This tremendous effort made a sizeable impact on the north side of the park pedestrian bridge, but plants to the south of the bridge could not be pulled as inclement weather conditions forced cancellation.  An estimated 2,000-4,000 pounds of plant material remains on the south side of the bridge.

It is unclear how this population became established since the next closest population is approximately 100 miles to the east; however a human vector seems likely.  Working with the WNYPRISM, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, and other partners, the LGLFRO is planning to coordinate another pull next summer that will cover the entire 6-acre area.  Additional surveillance of adjacent areas for several years will be critical to ensure plants have not spread to nearby habitats.  Public outreach will also be increased to assist in early detection reporting.