Reporting Invasive Species – Help Keep our Rivers Healthy

Reporting Invasive Species – Help Keep our Rivers Healthy

This is the second instalment of the Canadian Heritage River System’s invasive species series. This series will include deep dives into specific invasive species that are found in Canada’s water systems and information on how you can help keep our rivers healthy!

As described in Clean, Drain, Dry – Keeping our Rivers Healthy, an invasive species is an organism that is not native to a region and may outcompete native species for available resources such as food and space. Their presence will often result in a habitat being dominated by a monoculture of that species. That is often the case with an invasive plant called European Phragmites.

European Phragmites, or common reed, are a type of reed that grows in dense patches and prevents any other plants from growing in that area. They can be found in humid and shallow water habitats such as roadside ditches and shorelines.

Managing aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as European Phragmites typically follows four steps as identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada:

1. Prevention using the steps Clean, Drain, Dry as described in the article linked above.
2. Early detection by completing regular and thorough monitoring programs when possible and feasible.
3. Responding by working to eradicate populations of invasive and non-native species and restoring the habitat to its natural state.
4. Control and management of non-native and invasive species that can no longer be eradicated but can be managed in a way to lessen the negative impacts of their existence in the area.

This second instalment of our invasive species series will focus on the second pillar of invasive species management: early detection and how YOU can help!

Early detection and AIS monitoring involves identifying new species as soon as possible and monitoring their spread. Doing this will help to determine a response framework that will have the most impact on the eradication of the invasive species and the least negative impact on the surrounding ecosystem.

Unfortunately, early detection is often difficult due to limited capacity and resources as Canada’s waterways are expansive and dynamic. As such, interested and concerned individuals, like yourself, are an extremely important link in the early detection chain for AIS.

While out on the water, whether you are boating, swimming or ice fishing, there are ways that you can report your invasive species findings. These include:

1. Submitting a field report through Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Just send an email to your regional contact (found here) and include photos, the date, identifying features, and the exact location. DFO will assess every submission.
2. Submitting your findings through the iNaturalist project – I Spy and Identify Invasives (application is free for IOS and Android).
3. Submitting your finding through EDDMaps (application is free for IOS and Android).
4. Submit your findings through a contact for your province or territory, which can be found through the Invasive Species Centre (linked here) or through the Canadian Council on Invasive Species (linked here).

CHRS would like to thank you for your continued interest and assistance in keeping Canada’s rivers healthy!

For more information, keep an eye out for future invasive species series articles on the CHRS website and newsletter. You can also find more information on invasive species in Canada through the Invasive Species Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Canadian Council on Invasive Species.