3 days ago
Officials unveil high-powered contraption to fight dangerous issue at reservoirs: 'They tend to grow rampant'
Regional Water Authority personnel in Connecticut are doing their best Stanley Steemer impersonation. But instead of carpet cleaning, the team is using hot steam to battle invasive plants growing around reservoirs, according to WTNH News 8.
"What I like about it is it seems to be controlling the seed bed as well as the plants that we're killing. The heat seems to be going into the surface layer of the soil," forester Casey Cordes said.
The contraption looks like a carpet cleaner, with a hose connected to a hot steam machine. The workers are shown in footage shared by News 8, mushing up the invaders with water heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
The authority bought the equipment with a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, the TV station added.
At issue are mugwort, stiltgrass, Japanese barberry, and other foreign plants that have taken root and spread quickly. The species have shallow root systems, so they don't hold soil well during heavy rains, which leads to erosion into reservoirs, per News 8.
The troublesome weeds are also a problem for many homeowners.
"They tend to grow rampant. They tend to take over areas in your yard or the edge of your yard. So, that gets the attention of a lot of homeowners," Cordes told the station.
Columbia Climate School reported that the planet's overheating is aiding invasive species that take root in unwanted places.
As conditions change in certain areas, native plants may not do as well as a new arrival, which can thrive and create an imbalance. The number of alien varieties, both plant and animal, is expected to jump 36% by 2050 as Earth continues to warm.
An insect example is the emerald ash borer, which has destroyed 100 million trees in the United States since arriving from Asia.
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The ash borer is among thousands of invasive species in the country that caused more than $20 billion in damages and losses annually from 2010 to 2020. That was a sharp increase from the $2 billion in yearly costs during the 1960s, according to a study published by ScienceDirect.
In Connecticut, the steam treatment also avoids the use of harmful herbicides, which can leach into reservoirs, per News 8.
Steam is likely not a viable option for most homeowners battling unwanted plant life. But there are planet-friendly ways to encourage native ones to grow. Native species are a boon to pollinators and, in turn, about 35% of the food supply, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Often, plants most people assume are weeds are actually native blooms that can be a part of a rewilded yard. Natural species require less work once established and don't need costly treatments and loads of water to maintain.
A combination of steam and measures to encourage native plant growth could be a combination to tackle the unwanted and prolific outsiders plaguing reservoirs and backyards alike.
"Deer are not going to eat them, insects are not going to eat them. So, they tend to run rampant in our forests," authority forester Joshua Tracy told News 8.
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