Invasive plants choke area waterways

STERLING - Exotic invasive water weeds and other invasive organisms have slowly filtered into New York waterways over the past decade, clogging waterways and changing the ecological balance. In response, Weeds Watch Out!, an education outreach program, is now available for the public concerned about these waters in the Oswego River Basin.

Renee Jensen, community environmental educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension, presented "Learn to Identify and Control Invasive Water Weeds," Saturday afternoon at the Sterling Nature Center. The event was attended by an enthusiastic handful of people; Kathryn Whitehorne, of Aurelius; Jim Beardsley, of Red Creek; and Shirley Ryan, of Auburn.

"There are good aquatic plants that provide a habitat," Jensen said, "but the invasive ones give them a bad name." The Cooperative Extension now has a free, invasive weed identification guide with pictures of "bad" weeds and look-alike "good" ones. Identification of the invasive plants is the first step their eradication.