European Water Chestnut
Removal Project
Help us prevent the spread of this aquatic invasive species!
Working together to remove invasive European water chestnut from our local waterways!
European water chestnut (EWC) is a non-native aquatic plant that is highly invasive and, if left untreated, can quickly take over a waterway. Once water chestnut establishes itself in a creek or pond it can completely cover the surface of the water, cutting off important nutrients for native wildlife and impeding recreational activities such as fishing, boating and swimming.
Every summer, the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy manages EWC infestations within the watershed while also assessing local waterways for new infestations. Smaller infestations are able to be managed by hand-pulling the plant with the help of volunteers, while large infestations need to be treated with aquatic herbicide in order to achieve removal. Below is a list of active infestations that we are currently managing.
Infestations Managed by the Conservancy:
Knight Lake: Green Lane Park
Deep Creek - Green Lane Park
Unami Creek - Marlborough Township
Lake Delmont - Marlborough Township
Skymount Lake - Marlborough Township
Indian Creek - Franconia Township
Bergey’s Pond - Telford Borough
EWC Infestations Map Key:
Red Markers: Active infestation sites where EWC are removed each summer.
Green Markers: Inactive infestation sites that are monitored each summer, currently show no EWC presence.
Red Lines: Waterways with active infestations where EWC removal occurs each summer.
Green Lines: Waterways monitored seasonally with no active infestations detected.
European Water Chestnut Infestation Map
Learn More
Learn more about the natural history of water chestnut and its impacts.
Current Projects
Check back next summer for volunteer opportunities!
EWC Photos
Check out volunteer workday photos from the Bergey’s Pond infestation site.