Beneath these tubes at the Hammond Research Station, Vallisneria americana, a submerged aquatic plant native to Lake Pontchartrain, are growing and will be used to decrease pollution in the lake. The plants will be transferred to the lake in the spring. (Photo by Johnny Morgan)

The plants are grown in coconut-fiber mats in predator-proof cages and placed 18 to 20 inches below the surface. (Photo by Carol Franze)

News Release Distributed 11/23/11

HAMMOND, La. – An LSU AgCenter water resources scientist is trying to keep Louisiana in compliance with the 1972 Clean Water Act by testing plant mats in a pond at the Hammond Research Station.

Carol Franze, who has a joint appointment with Louisiana Sea Grant, said the submerged plants take up pollutants and settle out sediments from the water column. The plant is Vallisneria americana and is native to Lake Pontchartrain.

“The plants grow well in fresh water, but must be totally submerged to stay alive,” she said.

Franze is using coconut fiber mats in predator proof cages to grow the plants 18 to 20 inches below the water surface.

The goal of the project is to measure the amount of nutrients the vegetation removes from the pond and to grow and sustain populations of this threatened species for transplanting into suitable habitat in and around Lake Pontchartrain.

The project includes regular water sampling to measure a variety of water-quality parameters above and below the vegetated areas.

Franze said 4-H Clubs and other student groups will be involved in transplanting these plants into the lake and nearby tributaries. In addition, these groups and their teachers will be taught how to growth these plants in greenhouses or freshwater ponds and the role and function of these plants in the ecosystem.

The project is funded by the Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program, Franze said.