Fighting European Frogbit

June 29, 2024

By now you’ve likely heard of Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive aquatic plant plaguing a few of our northern Michigan lakes. But what about European frogbit? No, no cute amphibians are involved, but this green spreading machine looks an awful lot like a small lilypad, and it is an unwelcome guest in our waters. Good news: North Country Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (NCCISMA) recently received a $10,732 grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to combat European frogbit in 10 lakes in Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, and Lake counties. The grant will help fund surveys of those lakes this summer as a first step toward preventing and removing the plant, which grows in dense mats that disrupt ecosystems and recreation on the water. Learn more at northcountryinvasives.org.

Photo by Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut