There will be major work done on the small lake at Waterlily Park at Ocean Shores in mid-November with Council to remove the weed that is covering the lake and clearing nearby drains.
An aquatic harvester will be operating in the lake for around one week, removing the invasive Salvina weed which will be stored on the bank to dry out before it is taken to the Byron Resource Recovery Centre and turned into compost.
In the past Council has successfully used the Salvinia Weevil to control the weed, but additional measures need to be taken this year because of the presence of two other invasive weeds, Parrot's Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) and Creeping Water-Primrose (Ludwigia peploides).
The aquatic harvester will remove the bulk of the weeds, but herbicide spraying will be necessary around the edges where the machine can't access.
"Without this treatment the weeds could quickly re-establish," Malcolm Robertson, Manager Open Spaces and Facilities, said.
"The specialised aquatic herbicide, Clipper, will be applied where needed, by licenced contractors and signage will be placed in affected areas to warn the public of the herbicide in use.
"All three weeds multiply quickly and have the potential to create thick mats on the surface of waterways, smothering native plants and disrupting the environment for aquatic species," Mr Robertson said.
These weeds have been widely marketed in the past as aquarium plants, and people living in the catchment of the lake are asked to check what may be growing in backyard fishponds.
"We have had these weeds under control in the past and they seem to reoccur following heavy rains, suggesting they could be transported via storm water drains.
"The Parrots Feather can also be introduced on the feathers or wings of visiting aquatic birds," Mr Robertson said.
Once the weed removal and treatment processes are finished, work will start on removing silt from drainage pipe outlets in the lake.
"Over the years there has been a significant build-up of sediment from the surrounding catchment which has reduced the depth of the lake and altered flow patterns," Ryan van Doorn, Acting Infrastructure Services Planning Coordinator, said.
"We will have a long-arm excavator working in the lake and the silt and other material will be put on the bank before being removed," Mr van Doorn said.
When treatments are complete Council is hoping to work with the Waterlily Park Landcare group to assist in monitoring and manually removing fresh weed outbreaks before they gain momentum.
