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  • Revisiting Classical Biological Control of Hydrilla verticillata: Historical Perspective and New Opportunities

    Abstract: The invasive aquatic plant Hydrilla verticillata continues to threaten freshwater systems in the USA. Management is complicated by presence of three genetically distinct subspecies, of which H. verticillata ssp. lithuanica is the most recent introduction in the northeastern USA. Classical biological control programs have focused primarily on subspecies in southern states, but effectiveness against the new lineage, in cooler regions, or in tidal river systems where infestations may occur is unknown. We review the history of hydrilla biological control in the USA through the lens of the recent introduction and discuss opportunities to address the challenge. We summarize the current distribution and relevant biological traits of hydrilla lineages that may influence their management. We re-assess four previously approved insect agents (Hydrellia pakistanae, H. balciunasi, Bagous affinis, and B. hydrillae), discussing their suitability in novel environmental conditions of the northeastern USA and compatibility with H. verticillata ssp. lithuanica. The leaf-mining fly H. pakistanae is a promising candidate for immediate re-evaluation due to its availability and potential tolerance for cooler climates. Furthermore, there is a longer-term opportunity to develop microbial pathogens and discover new arthropod agents through targeted exploration in the native range of H. v. ssp. lithuanica, aided by modern molecular techniques. We conclude by outlining key research priorities to build an integrated and adaptive research strategy tailored to the unique biological and ecological context of the H. v. ssp. lithuanica invasion, emphasizing the need for a renewed, lineage-focused approach to the biological control of hydrilla.

  • USACE Chicago District Conducts Electric Dispersal Barrier Testing to Enhance Safety and Preparedness

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Chicago District recently completed a series of comprehensive tests on the Electric Dispersal Barrier System to better understand the system's operating limits and evaluate the effects of increased stray electrical currents should higher voltage levels ever be required to control the transfer of invasive carp species into the Great Lakes.

  • Two district lakes hold NPLD events

    USACE staff at Cochiti Lake, N.M., and John Martin Reservoir, Colo., gave volunteers the opportunity to give back to the public lands they love and utilize throughout the year through special projects for National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025.

  • The Edge of Crisis: Discovery of Young of Year Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus (Richardson, 1846) in the Lower Mississippi River

    Abstract: Understanding changes in the status of invasive species is important to managers in order to prevent or minimize impacts to native communities. Out of the four invasive carp imported to the U.S. from Eastern Asia, black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus have been generally overlooked due to the difficulty in capturing these fish even using targeted efforts. Because of this, limited resources have been channeled towards managing this species. Concerns over the expansion of black carp have been expressed, but direct evidence of reproduction in U.S. waters was lacking until young of year black carp were caught in tributaries of the Middle Mississippi River in 2015. This remained the known extent of the naturalized invasion until fish community surveys conducted in the fall of 2022 and 2023 documented young of year black carp in three oxbow lakes connected to the mainstem Lower Mississippi River. These collections provide evidence for increased population growth and exhibit expanding threats to the diverse mussel communities native to the Lower Mississippi River basin.

  • USACE Rock Island District awards first construction contract for Brandon Road Interbasin Project

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, awarded the first construction contract for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project on November 27. The $15.5 million contract was awarded to Miami Marine Services for site preparation and riverbed rock removal for the engineered channel. Miami Marine will partner with Michels Construction, Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for completion of this contract.

  • Army Corps, Illinois, and Michigan sign agreement to move Brandon Road Interbasin Project forward and unlock Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for construction

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, and the states of Illinois and Michigan signed a project partnership agreement this week for the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, moving the project forward into construction phase. This milestone agreement allows $274 million in federal funding, including $226 million provided by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and $114 million in state funding to be used for construction of the first of three construction increments of the $1.15 billion project designed to prevent the upstream movement of aquatic nuisance species into the Great Lakes.

  • Behavioral barriers aim to stop invasive fish in Sandusky River

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking at ways to stop grass carp from spawning in the Sandusky River near Fremont, Ohio, and nearly 3,700 miles of rivers and tributaries connected to Lake Erie where they damage habitats, increase erosion, and threaten the economy.

  • Army Corps partners with Pennsylvania to reduce spread of invasive species at Beltzville Lake

    Constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and open to the public since 1972, Beltzville Lake has become a popular recreational spot for swimmers, boaters, and picnickers throughout Carbon County and surrounding areas. One of the Corps’ priorities at this project is safeguarding water quality, and recent samples have shown the presence of hydrilla throughout the lake. Not native to this region, hydrilla is an aquatic invasive species in the form of a plant mass that often attaches to boaters’ anchors. In collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and other agencies, the Corps has been focused on containing the spread of hydrilla, thus introducing the Invasive Species Portable Washing Station.

  • Removing invasive caimans from Florida Everglades, UF/IFAS study reveals successful strategies

    The spectacled caiman, a species native to Central and South America, has been established in Florida since the 1970s. The pet trade and crocodilian farming industries, escapes and deliberate releases made it possible for caimans to invade the Florida Everglades. They pose a threat to native wildlife occupying the same habitat as our native alligators and crocodiles, competing for food and other resources. Meanwhile, they also prey upon birds, small mammals, fish and other reptiles. In a new University of Florida study, published in the journal Management of Biological Invasions, wildlife biologists at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) reveal how a series of efforts and strategies led to successful control and removal of caimans in specific areas of the Everglades. “This study demonstrates the effects that the combination of early detection, rapid response, and persistent removal efforts can have on an invasive species,” said Sidney Godfrey, a wildlife biologist at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center (UF/IFAS FLREC) and lead author of the study. Scientists consider their removal efforts and the results of the study a significant milestone for invasion science, as its applications can be leveraged and expanded to other invasive species found statewide and globally.

  • A Partnership in Invasive Species Action

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District has a team