Elodea is Alaska’s first invasive submersed freshwater aquatic plant and has been found in several areas of the state, including Cordova, Fairbanks, Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, and the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Valley. Establishment of this invasive species can have broad ecological and economic consequences, especially where Alaska’s salmon resources are concerned. Elodea can reproduce from a single plant fragment, allowing it to disperse quickly when it becomes entangled in floatplane rudders, boat propellers, and trailers. Elodea was discovered in the TTCD area in 2014 in Alexander Lake and then in nearby Sucker Lake in 2016. In 2019, Elodea was found in Big Lake, the state’s busiest inland boat launch.
In 2018, TTCD formed a multi-stakeholder task force to work collaboratively to contain and eradicate Elodea from the TTCD area. The Mat-Su Elodea Task Force (Task Force; originally the Alexander Creek Drainage Elodea Task Force) consists of TTCD, Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) ADF&G, USFWS, CIAA, the Mat-Su Salmon Habitat Partnership, Mat-Su Borough, SePRO Corporation, the Alaska Civil Air Patrol, and numerous lake residents. TTCD has continued to coordinate the task force to support the Alexander and Sucker Lakes eradication project. Recently, the Task Force has expanded its geographic scope to include all the Mat-Su Borough and continues to provide outreach, survey support, and planning for eradication efforts.
Learn more about Elodea in Alaska from our partners at the US Fish and Wildlife Service: https://www.fws.gov/species/water-weed-elodea
Northern Pike (Esox lucius) are an invasive species in Southcentral Alaska that are steadily devastating salmonid populations through juvenile salmon predation in the lakes and streams they invade. Northern Pike were illegally introduced to Southcentral Alaska by private landowners beginning in the 1950s and have spread to connected lakes and streams and are now present throughout much of the Susitna Basin. Northern Pike are apex predators and preferentially prey on juvenile salmonids. They are implicated in salmon population decline throughout the TTCD area. For many waterbodies in Southcentral Alaska, the coexistence of salmonids and Northern Pike is highly unlikely; without management intervention, salmon populations will steadily decline from Northern Pike-infested waters.
Recent research involving Northern Pike otolith microchemistry has revealed that Northern Pike are traveling through marine Cook Inlet waters to invade novel freshwater drainages, substantiating previous reports by commercial setnet fishermen catching Northern Pike in their nets that Northern Pike are dispersing via Cook Inlet. Ongoing early detection Northern Pike surveys in West Cook Inlet waters are critical to facilitate rapid response measures such as suppression and eradication (as feasible) to prevent secondary Northern Pike invasions and protect key salmon populations and currently intact salmon habitat.
TTCD’s Northern Pike Program focuses on prevention, early detection, suppression to aid in salmon recover, and eradication whenever possible. TTCD is a member of the Alaska Invasive Species Partnership, who have developed a plan to collaboratively manage the spread of this invasive species.
The 2022 – 2030 Current Management Plan helps guide TTCD’s response to invasive Northern Pike in our District.
Invasive plants in this area include:
TTCD began chemical and mechanical treatment of infestations in 2016 along the westside road system. Since 2016, the size and density of treated infestations have decreased, and additional infestations have been treated when discovered. Current infestations are treated with the goal of full eradication of high-priority invasive species. Ongoing survey efforts ensure the application of early detection rapid response to prevent the spread of invasive species and eradicate new infestations in this remote and pristine area.
TTCD submits invasive plant data to: https://akepic.portal.axds.co/#map
