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Water Lettuce Chokes Lake

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 1, 2008

BRANDON - Hold the vinaigrette - that's not a giant bowl of salad sitting outside the library off Vonderburg Drive. A hardy bloom of water lettuce has infested Clayton Lake, and it may take some time to wilt the wily weed.

Darci D'Onofrio, executive director of Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association inside the Brandon Regional Public Library, said her staff is concerned about the invasive aquatic weed flourishing on the lake's surface.

"Not only does it not look good, it's not good for the environment," she said.
Water lettuce produces a dense, floating canopy that alters water chemistry and shades out native vegetation underneath. Native to South America, it is commonly found festering in lakes and ponds throughout Hillsborough County.

The county's Mosquito and Aquatic Weed Control division began treating the Clayton Lake bloom in September. Supervisor Jeannie Craparo said it will take several applications before the job is done, and there is no reliable way to predict how long it will take.

D'Onofrio is checking her calendar and crossing her fingers.

"If that's not cleared up before the holidays, it will prohibit us from installing the annual Christmas tree in the middle of the lake," she said. "Hopefully, it will be clear well before the holidays."

Laura Frazier

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