Wetland and Underwater Vegetation
Date/Time
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
Huntley Meadows Park
Categories No Categories
VNPS programs are free and open to the public
Underwater grasses are an indicator of a river’s health. Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has been rebounding in the Potomac River in recent years, in part because cleanup efforts have reduced algae and more light encourages more underwater plant growth. Submerged aquatic plants trap sediments and provide shelter for fish and other wildlife, food for waterfowl and oxygen in the water.
Dr. Nancy Rybicki, an aquatic plant biologist and hydrologist, is in the National Research Program (NRP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Division. Her presentation titled “Aquatic Macrophyte Abundance and Diversity,” is focused on native and non-native plant trends, including Potomac River submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) species abundance during a time interval when water quality improved. She will also talk about investigations into the exotic, floating, aquatic plant, water chestnut (Trapa spp.) in the Potomac River watershed.
This program is co-sponsored by the Friends of Dyke Marsh, Mattawoman Watershed Society, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, the Friends of Theodore Roosevelt Island, and Earth Sangha. It is free and open to the public.
The Norma Hoffman Visitor Center (703-768-2525) is at 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, Virginia 22306. (If you use a GPS device to find the park, be sure to enter the street address above, not the park’s name.)
