An invasive plant is threatening a once-bustling fishing lake in southwest England, leaving local anglers fighting to save the waterway before it's too late.

What started as a few patches of green had by late September grown into a thick carpet choking Peatmoor Lake, reported the BBC, and with it, the fish, wildlife, and community that rely on it. 

What's happening?

Peatmoor Angling Club in West Swindon was forced to cancel matches after an aggressive species known as Canadian pondweed or Canadian waterweed (Elodea canadensis) took over the lake. The plant, which spreads rapidly and depletes oxygen levels, has blanketed the surface and made fishing nearly impossible.

Volunteers worked nonstop to clear the water, using oxygenators to keep fish alive. 

"In some ways, it's like fighting a losing battle," club member Ted Rowe, who has fished at Peatmoor for eight years, told the BBC. "We spent two, three days on there and now when we go in certain areas it looks like we haven't touched it."

The invasion is so severe that even the lake's usual bird populations have completely vanished. 

"Tonnes of them, and you can't even see a duck at the moment, there's nothing here," said angler Sean Enevoldsen. 

Why is this invasive species takeover concerning?

Invasive aquatic plants like the Canadian pondweed can devastate freshwater ecosystems. By outcompeting native vegetation for sunlight and nutrients, they disrupt the delicate balance that supports fish, insects, and birds. As the weed decomposes, it pulls oxygen from the water, suffocating aquatic life and accelerating the decline of biodiversity.

These ecological changes also carry broader risks: Degraded lakes can harm local economies tied to recreation and tourism, contaminate drinking water sources, and make it more expensive to restore natural habitats later. Once an invasive species like this takes hold, recovery can take years or may never fully happen without intervention.

What's being done to stop the pondweed takeover?

To contain the outbreak, Peatmoor Angling Club launched a community fundraiser to buy £5,000 (about $6,600) worth of specialist equipment designed to remove invasive pondweed from the lake, with volunteers spending hours each day manually clearing the water and operating oxygen pumps to keep fish alive.

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While the work was slow, their efforts kept the ecosystem from total collapse while they waited for more effective tools. 

By mid-October, it appeared the fundraiser had met its initial goal.

Across the U.K., similar grassroots efforts are pairing community action with conservation science to stop invasive plants before they take over. Programs like the Environment Agency's Check Clean Dry campaign encourage anglers and boaters to wash their gear between waterways to help stop invasive plants from spreading undetected.

Efforts like these help protect native species, maintain healthy habitats, and safeguard the local waters that communities depend on.

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