Trialling different low cost methods of water hyacinth removal in tropical coastal wetlands

Blankets of aquatic weeds such as water hyacinth, forming over the top of freshwater wetlands are one of the major management issues facing floodplain wetlands in many parts of Australia. Recent projects that successfully removed floating weed mats from large coastal lagoons, have resulted in dramatic improvements to water quality, fish diversity and productivity and public amenity, demonstrating their value. Innovative methods trialled in this project to reduce costs of initial weed removal and, potentially, long-term maintenance, include aerial application of brine, and the use of small boats with and without special modifications. In addition to methods of weed removal, the environmental responses to weed removal are being studied. The results successfully demonstrate simpler and more cost-effective means of removing large floating weed mats and improving water quality.