Conservationists, researchers and volunteers will be out on the waters of Braddock Bay on Thursday, trying to help get rid of an invasive plant. It's the European Water Chestnut, a type of plant that may have gotten into the bay by the seeds hitching a ride on a boat that was in the area.
Hilary Mosher is with the Finger Lakes Institute of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She says this plant tends to mat together on the surface of the water, and that can cause problems for people, plants, fish and water fowl.
"Absolutely a menace for swimmers, it impedes boaters, and other recreationists. The thickness of the mats severely limits sunlight within the water column; it then reduces or prohibits the growth of other aquatic plants underneath it.
Those involved in the effort will be out from about 9am to 1pm on the bay, pulling the water chestnut plants by hand.
June Summers of the Genesee Valley chapter of the Audubon Society , says they are looking for some volunteers to help pull these plants out of the water.
"And they need to have boats, canoes or kayaks to be able to sit in to pull them. It's really quite simple, it's very easy to pull, it just takes patience and time."
Summers says these invasive plant species sometimes get into the area waterways when boaters don't properly clean the bottom of their boats.
