• Find the upstream / downstream limits;
• Understand where the main areas of infestation and ‘Hot-Spots’ are

• Environment Agency? Canal & River Trust? Landowner?

• Treat headwater down;
• Use a range of treatments;
• Ensure fragments are removed along with the large mats;
• Repeat year after year.

• Floating pennywort was first reported in Yorkshire in 2011;
• Pressure to treat it came from anglers, Rivers Trusts and impact to Environment Agency (EA) and Canal & River Trust (CRT) assets;
• The Yorkshire Floating pennywort Forum was formed in 2012;
• Between 2012 and 2015 rivers and canals were treated, but not some navigable rivers;
• In 2016 and 2017 there was no EA treatment. A floating pennywort survey was undertaken of all rivers in 2017;
• In December 2017 EA and CRT met to confirm who would treat what. For the first time all waterways would now be under treatment.

• Most floating pennywort in Yorkshire is on the rivers and canals of the Calder, Aire and Don & Rother catchments;
• In these lowland areas of south and west Yorkshire there is a network of intertwined slow-flowing rivers (often navigable) and canals;
• There is only one known location in the whole of north and east Yorkshire.

• 80km of Yorkshire Rivers and canals are now under continuous yearly treatment.

• Having a Yorkshire Floating pennywort Forum;
• The 2017 survey established good baseline data (but only included rivers);
• The 2017 meetings with CRT to agree areas of responsibility were pivotal;
• In 2018 we secured ongoing funding from the EA Flood Defence team which meant that treatment is now guaranteed for main rivers.

• The 2017 surveys should have included canals;
• Until 2018 treatment was disjointed. There was confusion over who was responsible for navigable rivers;
• Treatment methodologies between EA and CRT remain inconsistent;
• Untreated ‘Hot-Spots’ occur around weirs, booms and rock-ramps;
• EA should use volunteers where possible at key locations.

• Since 2018 EA control has involved headwaters-down sweeps from a boat. Two full rounds of chemical treatment are applied using a long-arm lance. Roundup Pro-Biactive is used with an appropriate adjuvant (Topfilm or Codacile Oil);
• Volunteers have only been used to date for reporting floating pennywort and attending floating pennywort Forum meetings.

• CRT use a mixture of treatments;
• Mechanical treatment involves the use of a weed-cutting boat when stands become too large for chemical control. Amphibious ‘Truxors’ are often used which can be fitted with a variety of equipment such as weed cutters, dredging arm, scoops, etc.
• CRT have used paddlers including affiliated BC clubs and individual paddlers on some canals such as the Aire and Calder Navigation at Stanley Ferry and the Dewsbury Arm of the Calder and Hebble in Dewsbury. Both exercises were extremely successful.

• EA use River Stewardship Company (RSC) as contractors.
• CRT use Fountains PLC as contractors.

• Two rounds of treatment are applied in June and August.

• Treatment is undertaken throughout the growing year and is often reactive (responding to outbreaks rather than a routine maintenance operation).

• EA and CRT now spend approximately £20K each per annum on treatment in Yorkshire.

• EA and CRT do not seek landowner permission and undertake work using their statutory powers. Both still need AqHerb01 consent.

• Floating pennywort no longer present on River Rother. Since 2018 EA have reduced floating pennywort on other main rivers by 80%. CRT similar impact on canals. ‘Hot-Spots’ remain.

• RSC utilise stringent biosecurity measures, using the Check-Clean-Dry principles as a standard. In addition:
• They have a dedicated storage area for boats and equipment that allow them to be cleaned and thoroughly dried between operations;
• They plan work to ensure that they never cross catchments before boats and equipment are thoroughly dried;
• All staff undertaken annual NNSS Biosecurity training with competency certificate available on request;
• 2x sets of new improved chemical coveralls per operative (multi use);
• No site cross contamination with re-use of single use suits;
• Further details on Check Clean Dry are detailed within the RSC documented procedure “Biosecurity Procedure”.
• Regular site audits.

The future

• It is hoped that a single contractor will be used in future for both canals and rivers. This would make for a more efficient and co-ordinated approach;
• A network of volunteer groups should then be established who could focus on monitoring & treating ‘hot-spot’ areas.
• Best Practice would be (where possible) to utilise volunteers to undertake pennywort patrols every 2 weeks to mop up any new growths of pennywort.

• Floating pennywort also exists in offline ponds and lakes in Yorkshire and here the approach is to help landowners control it with appropriate guidance. If online EA may help financially to avoid risk of contaminating river systems;
• Treatment can be difficult in ponds / lakes as the floating pennywort may be within stands of native vegetation. They may also be in protected areas (e.g. SSSI’s or Local Wildlife Sites) or they may contain protected species (e.g. great crested newts).