Great afternoon on 7.20.23 …. My patrol started in zone 15 behind Picnic Island (grid #519) went into Duck Cove, continued south around the point, north of Ship Island, and into the cove (grids #485 and bottom tip of 487) where I found massive clumps of Aquatic moss, between 5’- 24” in diameter, tucked against the shoreline in #485. The moss is very thick, black and wiry (see photo below the Side Note.) Several years ago, I found it in the same cove, and at that time, the moss was attached to medium / large sized rocks sitting underwater in matted strands of about 5” long on the lake’s bottom. This year the strands are much longer and have grown to reach the water’s surface. It was so thick that I couldn’t see the bottom of the lake to determine if the moss was attached to rocks. It probably is though.
Continuing further south, I touched the west side of Ship Island and dropped down to the cove at the old Cove Camp ground. Continued to Breezy Point and south to grid #450 then crossed over towards Mayo Point into grids #444 and 445. Proceeded north around Mayo Point and then ended south of the Point at grids #401 and 402.
I had finally reached the end of a sweet sunny afternoon and decoded to call it quits (!) .... Thank goodness I didn’t have to hike it back across the lake to go home then. The family’s “water chauffer” offered to come and bring my board & me home.
SIDE NOTE: For anyone who finds what they feel might be easily identified as native Elodea (or native Water weed) please be sure to realize there are two look-alikes, Brazilian elodea and Hydrilla. It happened to me this afternoon and my heart stopped when I found a stalk at three different locations floating on the
lake’s surface. Be sure to have a magnifying device and fine scissors with you (for a cross-section) and determine if you see the identifying markings of these invasive weeds.
Clumps of Aquatic moss, underwater and some reaching the lake's surface.
A clump
Few strands separated out.
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