The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reached out to the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation for an in-water removal of an invasive species, European Frog-bit. It is a floating plant resembling a small water lily. It bears three-petalled white flowers. The floating leaves are kidney-shaped and grow in rosettes on the water surface, with the roots hanging down into the water column but not normally touching bottom.
The European frog-bit is not native to the area, but are common at landscaping supply
stores for use in backyard ponds and general landscaping. European frog-bit is dangerous to natural waterways because they form dense mats on the surface of slow-moving waters like bayous, backwaters and wetlands. When these mats of frog-bit form, they can reduce oxygen and light in the water column and can choke out native plants while altering food and habitat for ducks and fish. Frog-bit is fast growing and spreads rapidly. It survives the winter as dormant turions, which rest on the bottom, rising again to the surface in spring.
The team at Old Woman Creek NERR invited the Northern Ohio Surfrider team to their
location in Huron, Ohio in September 2023 to get out on SUPs and Kayaks to help
remove the plants from the waterway. The team successfully removed over 450 frogbit
florets in the campaign. Removal of the invasive species can play a crucial role in
climate resilience by restoring natural ecosystem functions and processes. The team at Old Woman Creek hosts clean up events every other week during the late summer months. They provide all the gear needed to participate in a frog-bit cleanup including Kayaks, PFD (Personal Floatation Device), paddles, nets and buckets. The Northern Ohio Surfrider team plans to support the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves campaign to remove frog-bit from Old Woman Creek in 2024. Visit the Surfrider Foundation events page, or follow us on Facebook for dates and times of upcoming events.
Old Woman Creek NERR is a dedicated State Nature Preserve, managed by the ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. Located in Huron on the south-central shore of Lake Erie, Old Woman Creek is one of Ohio's few remaining examples of a natural estuary. The site contains a variety of habitats including marshes and swamps, upland forest, open water, tributary streams, barrier beach and near-shore Lake Erie. The Reserve supports a diverse assemblage of native plants and animals representative of freshwater estuaries.
Click here to watch our wrap-up video of the Northern Ohio Surfrider Foundation Frogbit removal
campaign: