Description: A free floating aquatic herb with glossy, spoon shaped leaves and distinctive purple/lilac

flowers. Water hyacinth forms dense blankets over waterways and wetlands.

Distribution: A major weed of all river systems and connected wetlands in the lower Herbert. The

heaviest infestations are in the Cattle, Palm and Trebonne Creek systems.

Impacts: An aquatic weed that can choke waterways. It floats on still or slow-moving water and can

grow rapidly to cover the entire water surface with a thick mat of vegetation. This shades out any

submerged plant life and impedes oxygen exchange, making the water unsuitable for fish and

other animals. Salvinia infestations reduce the natural beauty and biodiversity of wetlands.

Key projects: Long term management projects are taking place in the Upper Cattle Creek, Palm

Creek and TYTO Wetlands reserve .

Prevention

Implement a community education and awareness program to prevent water

hyacinth’s spread to clean catchments. Ensure water features and

ornamental gardens do not contain water hyacinth.

Many areas to the north of Hinchinbrook do not have water hyacinth, it is

an offence under the Biosecurity Act 2014 to sell, give away or release this

plant into the environment.

Intensive control

Limited resources are available to expand current scope of control programs

underway in the Palm, Cattle and Ripple Creek catchments. A biocontrol

agent ( a weevil) does exist, but seems to be ineffective in the lower Herbert

Impact

reduction

Continue to release and distribute biocontrol agents. Reduce cover in dense

infestation. Manage alongside other aquatic weeds (Salvinia and

Hymenachne).

Restoration of riparian vegetation may assist in shading out or reducing the

density of Water hyacinth infestations.Water hyacinth forms dense rafts which have the potential to cause

significant damage to infrastructure during flood events.

flower x x x t t p p p p t x x

seed x x x t t p p p p p t t

spray p p p p t t t t p p p p

mechanical p p p p t t p y y y y y

biocontrol p p p t t t t t t p p p

J F M A M J J A S O N D

Eichhorinia crassipes (Water hyacinth) P

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Marginal y

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Restricted matter category

6

2.5/5 1.5 4.0/5 4.2/5 4.8/5 2.2/5 2.0/5 1.4/5 1.4/5

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Control

Spread

What is my biosecurity obligation?

Prevention zone

Ensure any machinery or vehicles moving from the infested areas

are free from plant material and soil.

Intensive control

zone

Manage infestations systematically from top of catchment down.

Ensure best practice weed hygiene measures are in place to reduce

risk of spread to new locations. Maintain weed free areas

Asset protection

zone

Ensure best practice weed hygiene measures are in place to reduce

risk of spread to new locations. Maintain weed free areas. Identify

high value assets and protect them from impacts where possible.

For more information on management aims in each zone refer to Using the Biosecurity Plan templates

Restricted matter category

52