Fish and water chestnuts. Sounds like delicious summer dinner, right? It may be tasty on your plate but in the Charles River, water chestnuts are unappetizing.
water chestnuts in the river
I am sure most of you have seen am image like this on Google maps and haven't thought twice about the difference between the shades of green.
Green shades of trees, water lily, and water chestnut (photo courtesy of Google).
But what does this have to do with fish? Believe it or not, fish actually breathe underwater. As water passes through the gills, oxygen is collected and delivered into the fish’s bloodstream. But when there is an excessive vegetation bloom (i.e. water chestnuts), the water is depleted of oxygen and the fish therefore have a harder time “breathing.” The image above is an example of an excessive bloom.
Water Chestnut is an invasive species that if not controlled, can have the potential to spread and cause harm to the Charles River’s ecosystem processes, impede on recreational opportunities, and kill fish. Removing chestnuts from the river can be a time-consuming task but is completely doable with the help of dedicated volunteers like you.
If you’d like to get out on a boat and enjoy the river while helping the fish, please contact our Water chestnut coordinator (waterchestnut (at) crwa.org) and get signed up!
The fish will thank you!
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