I accidentally snapped this photo, but it looks more dramatic than the one I intentionally took.
(The first word is "ENTERING".)
Day 126
Eurasian watermilfoil hits the big time
July 31st, 2010
I'm walking across America.
That's the idea, at least. I'm walking westward from New York City for nine months or so. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be in Oregon when the clock runs out. If nothing goes according to plan, maybe I'll end up in Peru or Mongolia or Pennsylvania. You can read all about the details of my trip if you're so inclined.
Email me at matt@imjustwalkin.com
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Here's my progress so far:
They are having real problems in the NW states w/ invasive species causing problems w/ water habitats. Was the “boat check” station running today on Hwy.200? They are checking all boats going through ID, MT, WA
Boats on TRAILERS, I meant to say….
That’s funny Lori.!
…But true… It’s exactly the same as what you describe about the Great Lakes being infested (or “infected”) w/ the muscles. The milfoil is a green slimey plant that getts stuck on propellers & outdrives. If it’s not cleaned off before the boat is put in the water, it can transfer to the new waterway. It can go crazy, like Kudzu in the South. The local governments around here have a very agressive campaign this year to stop it. There are spot check stations located on a lot of main hwys. and the Idaho State inspection station that’s about 2 miles from my house on I-90 has a sign up this year requiring all vehicles with boats on trailers to stop for inspection.
:)
I take it things stick to the bottom of boats? I know that’s how the Great Lakes got infected with something called a muscle or something like that. It suctioned itself to the bottom of cargo ships and didn’t get cleaned off enough before entering the lakes and now it’s infected the lakes. At least it’s how I understand it to be.
So out there, the Eurasian sounds like Europe and Asian put together. What exactly is this watermilfoil anyway?
It’s a kind of weed Dorinda .. http://www.mtweed.org/eurasian-water-milfoil/
No problem then, dry it out and smoke it……no problem
dorinda, the muscles came from “infected ships” releasing there bilge water into the lakes, as water is pumped out..it carried Muscle embryo’s hence starting the infestation of the zebra muscles that is.
That’s what it is! See I knew I was close to what it was. Score one for my limping brain cells. There aren’t all dead yet! lol.
Thanks Jeff. Such a wealth of knowledge.
Oops,” they”, not there. Dead cell attack.
Yes, that zebra mussel is a real problem here in the Finger Lakes, now, also.
Hmmmm…I guess that’s why when you enter WA from Portland on I-5, they have a sign that states “It is against the law to bring in invasive aquatic species and you will be prosecuted”. I never knew…and always laughed at the sign because it never made any sense to me…seeing as how you have to cross a large body of water (the Columbia River) to get to WA. It takes the education of the Hobo Planet to learn new things…and we have to learn new things every day, right?
Looks like there’s some weather brewing. Hope Matt didn’t get doused in rain.
GEEZ. i wish folks would learn to spell. and saying it’s a type is a lame excuse!
A type? Is that a spelling error there?
You keep them straight Candice, FYI I love tall women.
The spelling in his name sure is.
I agree with that (his name being spelled incorrectly)! I think he meant typo instead of type.
?? What’s spelled wrong? And good catch Candice I saw the same thing. Shouldn’t point fingers, some point back at you.
Oh my – I had to go back and look, maybe he meant “muscles” = mussels. You know I read, and I understand what people mean, whether the spelling is correct or not. I worry about my own spelling, but I don’t worry so much about others’ spelling. My biggest problem (typo!) is with you and your. That darn R. :)
Oh I see now what he might have been talking about thanks to you Candice. I didn’t know what the things were called that suction on the bottoms of the boats here but I thought they were muscle. But not like muscles on a body. Never dawned on me even after reading jiminycriket(spelled wrong name) comment on wrong spelling or words. Now, after reading yours and the difference in the spelling of the word muscle/mussels now I get it. Our English language has double meanings for words spelled the same way. Like read and read. Or no and know. Same words/spelling but mean different things. We know what it is and what was meant. I like correct spelling myself and find it annoying sometimes but I make mistakes to. My problem my mind thinks faster than my fingers type and things come out wrong. I try to proof read everything but don’t always catch the boo boos. Oh well. Candice at least you and I know what we mean right? And that’s okay with me. : )
I’ll admit I didn’t look at the link yet, but can tell you that EWM is nasty stuff. The main problem with it is that when boats go through it and chop it into smaller pieces, those smaller pieces are able to generate new plants. So all it takes is a piece or two to stick to a boat and go to a new lake and that lake can end up screwed. (Which therefore makes it really hard to control). One of the most interesting ways to control it is through this weevil, which loves the stuff.
I’m a guessing it’s not a boll weevil!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boll_Weevil_Monument
and another link http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/zebramussel.shtml
What a way to go
You know you have a dirty mind when the only words that stick out of that sign is “MILF OIL”.