Dealing with Weed 

Inland lakes, gravel pits, reservoirs and rivers can sometimes be affected by large growths of aquatic weed which can cause problems for racing and recreational boating in the summer months.

2010 was a particularly bad year for weed issues with a record number of clubs reporting problems. The very cold winter followed by a warm spring encouraged rapid proliferation of weed all over the country forcing many clubs to operate in a restricted sailing area and in some cases having to cancel events.

A range of management options are available to sailing clubs faced with weed problems and the RYA has produced some guidance that provides an overview of these and uses case studies to illustrate successful approaches. 

Weed Database

As part of the research undertaken to inform this guidance the RYA spoke to many clubs who have experience of dealing with weed. Some were more successful than others however we kept all the information and put it into a database.  Not only does this help us have a good understanding of the ‘weed picture’ across the country but it also provides a useful record of what particular problems, and associated solutions, are being experienced in specific locations.

If your club is suffering from weed problems then it might be worth checking to see if any other clubs in your area are in the same predicament. Not only could you learn from each other’s experiences there is a possibility that you may find that pooling resources opens up the range of management options available to you.

If dealing with weed is a new issue for your club then have a look at the guidance and then get in touch with RYA HQ or your Regional Development Officer (RDO) to see if there is any scope for joining forces with other clubs. If your club is an old hand at dealing with weed and is successfully managing the issue then we want to hear from you! The database is designed to be a ‘live’ system that we can constantly update with new case studies. If you want to contribute your experience then drop us a line at environment@rya.org.uk  or speak to your RDO.

Useful links

NERC - Centre for Ecology & Hydrology