Does your club suffer with weed? 

If you want to reduce the likelihood of aquatic weed interfering with your summer season, now is the time act! Evidence suggests that the most effective way to manage weed problems is to act early before the weed has a chance to get established.

The RYA has put together some advice to help clubs deal with the problem of aquatic weed.

We have been working with clubs since 2009, when a number of clubs contacted us reporting an abundance of aquatic weed, with some clubs having to cancel events throughout the season.

It seemed the very cold winter of 2009, followed by a period of good weather in spring 2010 was to blame and although aquatic plant growth is generally a sign of good water quality, prolific growth can clog up water bodies causing serious problems for recreational boating.

Although there isn’t a simple solution, there are a number of management techniques that some clubs are using to successfully control weed growth - even when there are additional issues linked to nature conservation or flood storage. Drawing on case studies our guidance notes, ‘Dealing with Weed’ set out the management options available to clubs and describes certain permissions that may be needed, depending on your location.

The RYA is trying to build up a database of aquatic weed experiences across the country to enable us to set up a sharing of resources/expertise between clubs. If your club has experienced a problem or has a success story to share please email environment@rya.org.uk or chat to your Regional Development Officer (RDO).