Palm Coast’s Stormwater and Engineering department are now implementing a more eco-friendly method to the aquatic weed control in the canals of Palm Coast by using triploid grass carp.
These fish thrive in shallow water, love the warm aquatics, and they have a voracious appetite for underwater plants, including the indigenously invasive weeds known as hydrilla and Water Hyacinth. These two weeds grow at a rapid pace and have been very labor-intensive when it comes to controlling their growth.
The City of Palm Coast has acquired 700 adolescent Triploid Grass Carp, through proper permitting at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, to be rehomed here in several canal heads including Rippling, Bellaire, Jefferson Davis, London and Beachwood Cove.
“Using Triploid Grass Carp as a way to control the aquatic weeds biologically is environmentally beneficial as it reduces the amount of herbicides needed to remove these plant species,” explains Stacey Davis, Stormwater Assistant Maintenance Manager. “Using alternative methods like this will benefit both our residents and environment.”
The city also maintains the weeds with an Aquatic Weed Harvester which scoops out the weeds and roots and relocates to the shoreline for collection.
