• Home
  • About Us
    • Governance
      • About the LTVCA
      • Board of Directors
      • Board Meetings
      • Budget & Financial Statements
      • Public Consultation & Bids
      • Reports/ Plans/ Fees / MOUs
    • Get Involved
      • Employment
      • Volunteers
      • FAQ’s
      • What’s New?
  • Visit
    • Get Outside
      • Conservation Areas
      • Camping
      • Parking Passes
      • Healthy Hikes
    • Things to Do
      • Events
      • Ska-Nah-Doht Village & Museum
  • Conservation
    • Water Management
      • Flood Forecasting & Warning
      • LTVCA’s Flood Control Program
      • Water Control Structures
      • The History of Flooding
      • Flood Notices
      • Flood Notice Types
      • Water Levels
    • Conservation Services
      • Tree Planting
      • Grants for Landowners
      • Feature Partnership & Restoration Projects
      • Phosphorus Education
      • Funding for Farmers
      • Species at Risk
      • Invasive Species
      • Pollinator Habitats
      • Livestock Health
      • LIVING LAB – ONTARIO
  • Learning
    • Education Programs
      • School & Community Groups
      • On-the-Road Programs
      • Asynchronous Opportunities
      • Habitat Fact Resources
  • Planning & Regulations
    • Planning and Regs
      • Plan Input & Review
      • Regulations
      • Enforcement & Compliance
      • Regulated Areas Map
  • Contact Us
    • Get In Touch
      • Contact Form
      • Enforcement & Compliance
      • Staff Directory

Call us 519-354-7310

[email protected]
Lower Thames Valley Conservation AuthorityLower Thames Valley Conservation Authority
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Governance
      • About the LTVCA
      • Board of Directors
      • Board Meetings
      • Budget & Financial Statements
      • Public Consultation & Bids
      • Reports/ Plans/ Fees / MOUs
    • Get Involved
      • Employment
      • Volunteers
      • FAQ’s
      • What’s New?
  • Visit
    • Get Outside
      • Conservation Areas
      • Camping
      • Parking Passes
      • Healthy Hikes
    • Things to Do
      • Events
      • Ska-Nah-Doht Village & Museum
  • Conservation
    • Water Management
      • Flood Forecasting & Warning
      • LTVCA’s Flood Control Program
      • Water Control Structures
      • The History of Flooding
      • Flood Notices
      • Flood Notice Types
      • Water Levels
    • Conservation Services
      • Tree Planting
      • Grants for Landowners
      • Feature Partnership & Restoration Projects
      • Phosphorus Education
      • Funding for Farmers
      • Species at Risk
      • Invasive Species
      • Pollinator Habitats
      • Livestock Health
      • LIVING LAB – ONTARIO
  • Learning
    • Education Programs
      • School & Community Groups
      • On-the-Road Programs
      • Asynchronous Opportunities
      • Habitat Fact Resources
  • Planning & Regulations
    • Planning and Regs
      • Plan Input & Review
      • Regulations
      • Enforcement & Compliance
      • Regulated Areas Map
  • Contact Us
    • Get In Touch
      • Contact Form
      • Enforcement & Compliance
      • Staff Directory

Invasive Species Alert! LTVCA’s SAR Team and Wetland Restoration Technician Help Prevent Ecological Damage to McGregor Creek by Removing Water Lettuce

Home » Invasive Species Alert! LTVCA’s SAR Team and Wetland Restoration Technician Help Prevent Ecological Damage to McGregor Creek by Removing Water Lettuce
LTVCA’s Wetland Restoration Technician, Anastasia Heuvelmans (left) and SAR team’s Gabriela Carew (right) standing with nine garbage bags full of Water Lettuce.

Invasive Species Alert! LTVCA’s SAR Team and Wetland Restoration Technician Help Prevent Ecological Damage to McGregor Creek by Removing Water Lettuce

August 31, 2021

Chatham-Kent – Water Lettuce is often used in water gardens, but is an invasive species. When Water Lettuce is introduced to watercourses and other natural waterbodies, it outcompetes native plant species, blocks water flow, negatively impacts fish communities and can impede recreational activities like boating and fishing.

A patch of Water Lettuce was recently discovered in McGregor Creek by Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) staff. To stop the spread of this species and arrest the ecological damage it can cause, staff took action to inform local landowners of the concern and to remove the plants.

On August 25, 2021, the LTVCA’s Species at Risk (SAR) field crew and Wetland Restoration Technician travelled down McGregor Creek by canoe, filling nine garbage bags full of Water Lettuce. The plants were then burned offsite to prevent any chance of it spreading.

To learn more about this invasive species, check out LTVCA’s Water Lettuce Invasive Species Alert flyer. To do your part to halt the spread of invasive species, never release aquarium plants into local watercourses or waterbodies. Always consider using native species for plantings on your property. If you spot additional Water Lettuce in McGregor Creek or other local, natural waterbodies, please report it through the EDDMapS (Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System) app on your cell phone or on-line and/or contact Vicki McKay at [email protected]. For more information, visit Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program at http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/aquatic-plants/water-lettuce/.

-30-

For comment:

Vicki McKay – LTVCA Species at Risk Biologist

[email protected]

Share

What’s New?

  • Watershed Condition Statement – Safety Bulletin – Thames River – April 7, 2025 – 12:00 PM
  • Flood Watch – Thames River and smaller watercourses – April 6, 2025 – 1:00 PM
  • Flood Watch – Thames River and smaller watercourses – April 5, 2025 – 9:00 AM
  • Flood Watch – Thames River and smaller watercourses – April 3, 2025 – 3:00 PM
  • Watershed Condition Statement – Flood Outlook – Smaller watercourses and Thames River – April 1, 2025 – 2:00 PM

Facebook

What’s New?

  • Breakfast & BMPs – Register Today!
  • NEW! Funding for Farmers – 2025 Guide and Application Form
  • Create Something this March Break
  • Battle of Longwoods Returns to Longwoods Road Conservation Area
  • Birding at Big ‘O’

Partner Links

  • Lower Thames Valley Conservation Foundation
  • Conservation Ontario
  • Thames Heritage River; Canadian Heritage Rivers System
  • Chatham-Kent and Lambton Children’s Water Festival
  • Thames-Sydenham & Region Source Protection Area
  • Thames River Clear Water Revival

Connect with us!

Search

© 2025 · Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority |[email protected] | Tel: 519-354-7310

  • Home
  • Privacy
  • Public Social Media Policy
  • Contact Form
Prev Next