I am in Southern California. I have this plant that grows in water out to 12' deep. It grows on dry land and blooms in the spring thru summer and spreads. It grows with one shoot into the bottom and then branches out on the surface and spreads on the surface. I can pull the root out and the whole surface mat will then float free. It is expanding and covers a lot of my shallow coves and out to deep water. It started growing about three years ago I think when we had a few years of low water. It is continuing to spread especially in the warm months. I do not catch bass in it and don't see a lot of the fish using it as cover. What is it and is there any benefit to keeping it around for fish or not. It has covered a lot of the gravel bed areas that my bluegill used to use to spawn. How should I kill it - manual, chemical or what? I have access to a professional who does aquatic plant harvesting - he didn't know what it was. He can cut it and haul it though for me. When should I remove it - now in the winter - before the spawn?
Here are some photos taken this week -
Here is a picture of it in the background of the catfish with my son in full bloom this last August -
Thanks!
Dave
