Hiwassee Aquatic Plants
Hiwassee River / Apalachia Tailwater Hiwassee Aquatic Plants - home - links - credits [ Ruth's Golden Aster | Tussock Sedge | Moss | Algae | Fennel Pondweed ] [ Common Pondweed | Watercress | Red Ludwigia | Water Hyssop ] [ Eelgrass | Horsetail | Barbaras Buttons | Bushy Pondweed ] [ Alligator Weed | Curly Pondweed | Musk Grass ] Below is info on some Hiwassee aquatic plants that I consider to be significant. I am especially interested in any relationships between plants, bugs, and trout. I sometimes err in my identifications, so please email me if you believe there is an error. More info can be obtained with a Google search. |
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Ruth's Golden Aster - (Pityopsis Ruthii) This is our most endangered species. The only place in the world these are found is certain segments of the Hiwassee and Ocoee watersheds, the bypass section above the powerhouse being one of those areas. . Flow requirements to benefit this species are sometimes detrimental to our coldwater fishery, but the impact is not great, in my opinion. |
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Tussock Sedge - (Carex stricta) This stuff is an island builder. Since big floods in 1994 it has become more established below the powerhouse and on the ledges above the boat ramp. The roots hold soil, and some woody shrubs are becoming established there now. The river changes over time. Some years back, when we had pretty much 2 turbine flow all year, the beds below the swinging bridge were absolutely covered with blackfly larvae, and I had a really good summer there fishing midges in the evening. In these areas, I also sometimes dress fish that are absolutely stuffed with cranefly larvae. |
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Moss - (Fontinalis antipyretica) In many areas of the river, rocks are well covered with moss, and it provides good cover and habitat for a lot of bugs. Pick up a rock some time and see what you find. In many cases, live moss helps your footing. Dead moss, and some yellowish stuff called "filamentuous diatoms" is pretty slick. For more info, click here. |
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Algae - (Cladophora sp.) This green stuff is slimey, sometimes becomes a problem with low flow conditions in summer. I often find a lot of it in fish that I dress, and one reason for that is, at least near the powerhouse, it tends to be full of immature sow bugs, and other good fish food. I don't know that I would try to tie imitations! |
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Fennel Pondweed - (Potamogeton pectinatus) This may not be a correct identification, if you have better info please contact me. This makes bright green attractive patches on the bottom, otherwise doesn't have any particular significance for us that I'm aware of. I just wondered what it was. top of page |
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Common Pondweed - (Potamogeton natans) The leafing pattern of pondweeds is characteristic of a lot of aquatic plants, underwater leaves are narrow, leaves near the surface are flat and broader for better flotation. The darker stuff in the image is common pondweed, the lighter is fennel pondweed. The thermometer is about 6" long. |
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Watercress - (Nasturtium officinale) I find some of this in the river. There are often thick beds in feeder branches, like the one behind the parking area at the powerhouse. My mother used to cook this stuff as a green, but I'm a bit wary of it, sure does hold a lot of bugs. Another name for sowbugs is "cress bugs". |
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Red Ludwigia - (Ludwigia repens) This has a distinctive reddish color, so I was curious as to what it was. Now I know. |
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Water Hyssop - (Bacopa caroliniana) I first noticed this stuff this summer (2007). I'm not aware of any particular significance to the fishery, just another interesting plant. |
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Eelgrass - (Vallisneria americana) There are vast beds of this stuff below Fox's Cabin, and it provides great fish cover and bug habitat. I often find the big flat black kind of dragonfly nymphs around the roots, might be a good place to fish little black wooly boogers or leach patterns. This stuff is also called "water celery" because the leaves are so stringy. top of page |
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Horsetail - (Equisetum hyemale) The only place I've ever seen this stuff is along the road near Fox's Cabin. Yet another interesting plant. For more info, click here. |
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Barbara's Buttons - (Marshallia mohrii) These bloom in June on some of the rock ledges below Towee Shoals. When I first noticed these a few years back, I thought they were swamp pinks, the closest match I could find in my flower book. Some viewers and the Forest Service Botanist helped me with a correct id. The plants are rather attractive, so every June I look for these. |
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Bushy Pondweed - (Najas guadalupensis) The area below Towee Shoals, amongst other places, has a lot of this, and if I want to show someone what a "scud" looks like, I go there when the water is off and examine some of these plants. top of page |
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Alligator Weed - (Alternanthera philoxeroides) Amongst other places, Broad Shoals down below Webbs Field has a lot of this. I saw it when I fished there July 4th this year (2007). The light blue flowers and dew covered spider webs on them were rather striking in the morning light. |
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Curly Pondweed - (Potamogeton crispus) I find a lot of this down around Patty Bridge, dense beds, good bug habitat. The distribution maps I have seen don't show it in Polk County. |
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Musk Grass - (Chara sp.) Something else I find at Patty Bridge. When fruiting the seed pods at nodes give it a grainy feel, it can be identified by touch with your eyes closed. This looks like a higher plant, but is actually an algae. top of page |
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All images not otherwise credited copyright Don Denney 2007, other images from: Ruths Golden Astor - Tennessee Clean Water Network Moss - Washington State Department of Ecology - WaterQuality Algae - Aquariumpoetry.blogspot.com Eelgrass - http://plants.usda.gov Horsetail - http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/ Watercress, Red Ludwigia, Curly Pondweed, Musk Grass - University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants All used by permission. |
