The Ludwigia chronicles at Artist Lake all started back In October 2021, when theTown of Brookhaven, was alerted to a patch of creeping water primrose (Ludwigia peploides) by DEC Region 1 Fisheries. With rapid management in 2021, follow-up surveys, and management once more this October, LIISMA has helped to contain this infestation.
The initial population, located along the northwestern shoreline near the Town of Brookhaven parking lot off of Route 25A, was mapped by LIISMA staff. When the invasive plant was confirmed to be L. peploides, we coordinated with NYSDEC Region 1 Fisheries and the Town of Brookhaven on removal efforts. In December 2021, we all gathered around the early detected patch of ludwigia.
While occurrence of ludwigia in Artist Lake was unfortunate, rapid action by the involved parties and the quickly issued NYSDEC permit for manual control gave us the head-start to prevent the plant from spreading. We joined forces in a rapid response to remove this high impact Tier 3 species.
Ludwigia is known to form dense, nearly impenetrable mats that can displace native aquatic plants and wetland grasses, reduce wildlife habitat, lower pH and dissolved oxygen in water, interfere with flood control and drainage systems, clog waterways, and impact navigation and recreation.
It is thought that the plant may have been spread via boat or kayak used in the Peconic River only a few miles away, or by waterfowl. Signage was installed at the launch site reminding boaters of the risks associated with not properly inspecting and cleaning their watercraft when moving from one water body to another.
Artist Lake is a particular risk to neighboring ecosystems because it is a glacial kettlehole pond within the buffer of the Rocky Point Pine Barrens Invasive Species Prevention Zone (ISPZ). Management of this ludwigia population is important for containment in order to prevent its spread to the nearby Carmans River and the high-quality coastal plain ponds found in the ISPZ and other conservation areas. The land around Artists Lake is partly owned by the Town of Brookhaven, as well as several private property owners. The site is highly trafficked for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing, so potential for spread beyond this pond is high due to the fact that the plant is adaptable and can spread quickly through floating seed pods and stem fragments. The spread of this species would likely impact navigation and recreation if left alone.
We revisited Artist Lake in July 2022 to follow-up on the manual removal of ludwigia and to survey the entire lake. We kayaked and walked the shoreline, surveying the perimeter of the lake for newly emerging populations. These surveying efforts proved valuable, as we encountered a previously unrecorded population at the southeast shoreline of the lake, quickly making plans with our partners for management.
In October, 2022, LIISMA manually removed ludwigia in the new location, and Region 1 Fisheries led a follow-up control of the first detected population follow-up control In total, twelve 30-gallon bags of ludwigia were removed from Artist Lake in 2022, with plans to continue monitoring and removing ludwigia over the next several years until the infestation is eliminated.
We extend a special thank you to Luke Ormand of Town of Brookhaven, who ensured a dumpster was present on site for prompt disposal of the species. We would also like to thank Alan Duckworth, Peter Fontaine, and other staff of the Town of Brookhaven, as well as Heidi O’Riordan and Ashley Morris of NYSDEC Region 1 Fisheries for their collaboration.
