Weather blamed as weed takes over canal at The Waterfront

The Dudley No1 canal at The Waterfront has been taken over by a north American water fern known as Azolla weed.

It’s the first time this has happened in the West Midlands, according to the Canal & River Trust.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “It grows really quickly in warm, wet weather – which is why it’s gone absolutely crazy.”

Azolla weed has taken over the canal at The Waterfront, Brierley Hill (Image: Martyn Smith / Newsquest)

The trust said to tackle the problem - thousands of weevils have been released to eat the weed and stop it spreading further along the waterway.

It said the 2mm-long weevils will munch up the invasive water fern (Azolla filiculoides) which, if left unchecked, can cover canal surfaces with a thick weedy mat.

The weevils are said to be an effective natural means of tackling the problem as they rapidly eat up a very large mass of the water fern, and they feed exclusively on azolla - without damaging other native species.

Charles Hughes, at the Canal & River Trust, said: “The changing climate, with hotter summers becoming more common, is making this natural phenomenon even more of a challenge. The weed isn’t harmful, but it looks unappealing and is often studded with the litter that gets blown into the water from the streets.

The Dudley No1 Canal at The Waterfront, Brierley Hill, has experienced an overgrowth of Azolla weed (Image: Kim Taylor Hopkins / News Group Camera Club)

"Our canals and rivers are wonderful places to visit, and are especially popular in summer, so it’s important to keep them looking their best.

“A recent decision by government to cut future funding for the nation’s canal network is going to make winning our battle against aquatic weed even harder. We run regular volunteer parties where people can get involved in all sorts of tasks to care for their local waterway, including removing weed, and we’d welcome any help in keeping our canals alive.”