Story thread · 5 reports / 4 sources

Water lettuce has taken over St. Petersburg’s Crescent Lake. What is it?

tampabay.com · 4dShare

These days, Crescent Lake looks more like a football field than a body of water. Thanks to what was likely a perfect storm of prolonged drought followed by heavy rains, water lettuce has engulfed one of the city’s most popular lakes. The aquatic plant, known for its breakneck growth and dense, floating mats, thrives in open sun and runoff-rich water. “For many people living around the lake, this is probably the first time they’ve seen it so pervasive,” said Jim Bays, president of Stewards of Our Urban Lakes , a St. Pete-based nonprofit that aims to protect and improve the city’s lakes. An explosion of this much water lettuce is unusual for Crescent Lake, but not unheard of, Bays said. City officials said work is underway to curb some of the plant’s growth on the lake, with a chemical herbicide treatment planned Friday. “We haven’t seen it like this in some time,” Bays said. “When it completely covers the lake like this, that’s an eye-catcher.” A group of the nonprofit’s volunteers vent

First report: Michigan’s beach water turned frigid, but watch the fast warm-up — mlive.com, 7d