Residents who live around Little Albro lake in Dartmouth have been dealing with a growing problem of Little Yellow Hearts. The ornamental floating plant is native to Eurasia and was unintentionally introduced to Little Albro Lake in 2006. Since then it has grown to dominate the surface of the lake.
“It’s a lovely looking plant but it’s so prolific, it just has blanketed the entire lake,” said District 5 Councillor Sam Austin.
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“The worry for me is that this plant will not stay contained in this lake Long term, and if it gets into other lakes and we can’t control it anymore the potential damage to recreation, to culture, to our economy could be right significant.”
Councillor Sam Austin says this is an important issue. He says the invasive species prevents you from boating, prevents you from swimming and kills native vegetation. He says we're lucky that so far the species hasn't made it's way to other lakes.
— Alicia Draus (@Alicia_Draus) July 30, 2019
A motion was brought forward to council Tuesday to direct the Chief Administrative Officer to pilot the use of benthic mats to control the Yellow Floating Heart infestation at Little Albro Lake.
The estimated cost of the project is $25,000.
District 3 Councillor, Bill Karsten objected the motion raising concerns that lakes are not municipal jurisdiction.
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“The province knows it’s their responsibility and yet every time we don’t like the answer it seems we just buckle under and take it upon ourselves to do what needs to be done,” he said.
“When do we push back and say no this is not our issue?” he asked, stating that this could set a precedent.
Councillors ultimately voted 14-1 to push the pilot project forward, with Karsten holding out as the lone “no” vote.
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