Populations were also discovered on Vancouver Island in 1985. Many uninfested water bodies are susceptible to nuisance growth of this plant. Eurasian watermilfoil is perennial, growing on a variety of bottom types from a fibrous root system. During the spring and summer months. Floating plant fragments produced by waves and boaters are spread rapidly by water currents, making the plant difficult to contain.
New plants grow when the fragments sink, rooting best in protected locations.
The most common form of spread is by boats and boat trailers carrying plant fragments from one water body to another. BC Environment's Water Management Program continues to provide technical advice and guidance to the public and regional authorities. A priority of the Water Quality Branch is to prevent the spread of watermilfoil through public education methods such as this brochure, displaying posters at appropriate sites and distributing boater warning cards at border crossings. In infested lakes, the Province may support local government efforts to control small populations where practical. Local governments are responsible for controlling large, established populations of Eurasian watermilfoil.