Ellen Tauscher: “I rise to discuss a nonnative aquatic weed which is taking over our Nation's waterways and is rapidly becoming a…”

“I rise to discuss a nonnative aquatic weed which is taking over our Nation's waterways and is rapidly becoming a national problem. While I recognize the extreme threat that other nonnative aquatic species can cause, and the zebra mussel infestation of our Great Lakes and rivers throughout the Midwest is a prime example, I believe we need to begin to focus national attention on directing research funds on controlling and eliminating other nonindigenous aquatic species. In my State of California we have more nonindigenous species destroying our natural environment than any other State. One of the worst offenders in the San Francisco Bay Delta includes Egeria Densa, a water weed that originates in Brazil and has taken over not only our local waterways but the canals, rivers, lakes, and bays around the country, including the Mississippi River, the Florida Everglades, and the Chesapeake Bay. This weed impacts water quality in the bay by displacing native vegetation and choking the waterways, causing severe damage to boats, loss of recreational area, and a dramatic reduction of the property values along the deltas in my district.”