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14th Annual Paddle with a Purpose
July 20, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Bucks County Conservation District will be hosting the 14th annual Paddle with a Purpose. With Partners from the Bucks County Parks and Recreation Department and Delaware Canal State Park Paddle with a Purpose is an educational volunteer event that brings the community together to work towards a common goal: eradicating Lake Towhee of invasive Water Chestnuts (Trapa natans).
This is an event where you can borrow or bring your own watercraft /personal flotation device. A signed liability waiver (Waiver here) is required for participation. We’ll take care of the rest.
ABOUT
Water Chestnuts are a non-native species that cover the water’s surface, forming dense mats that block sunlight and compete with native vegetation for space and nutrients, disrupting the aquatic food web and habitat structure. First observed in 2009, this invasive plant spreads rapidly due to multiple means of reproduction – it is an annual plant that primarily spreads by seed, but it can also reproduce from small plant fragments self-propagating. A single plant can produce up to 20 seedpods, which can remain viable on a lake bottom for up to 12 years submerged in a lakebed!
Because of this, water chestnut management requires long-term efforts. Bucks County has been fortunate to have been active in mediating water chestnuts in Lake Towhee since 2009 during the prime summer months, however the county still relies on these annual efforts to keep them at bay and ensure they won’t spread any further. Dormant seeds can be transported by ducks, geese, or even float downstream through a river system. If maturing plants are pulled before they have a chance to seed, this not only helps Lake Towhee, but keeps all other water systems happy and healthy!
EVENT INSTRUCTIONS
Event Organizers will provide boat rentals, refreshments, and educational tools to each volunteer who registers. As noted, watercrafts can be borrowed, or you can bring your own. Each paddler will be given instructions and can paddle anywhere on the lake to uproot these plants, collect them in trash bags, and return the bags to event supervisors. This event in an opportunity for locals to meet with environmental officials and take part in positive change you can see in just a few days’ work! Joint efforts will promote a healthy native environment in their community and prolog recreational use of public waterways. If interested, please register here. Hope to see you there!
If there are any questions, please contact Intern@Bucksccd.org.