SWANS have reportedly been forced onto the towpath because an invasive plant has grown so thickly across the Montgomery Canal that they cannot get through. Now Glandŵr Cymru, the Canal & River Trust in Wales, is stepping up efforts to protect one of the nation’s most treasured waterways.
Water soldier, an aquatic plant native to Europe and north-west Asia, grows on the surface and is threatening rare aquatic plant life in the canal, internationally recognised as one of the best locations in the world for floating water plantain.
Thanks to a grant from the Welsh Government Local Places for Nature programme, Glandŵr Cymru hopes to remove the invasive species from a 2km stretch of the canal between Arddleen and Wern. The money is supporting several environmental projects on the canal, with £90,000 being invested in this specifically.
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Ecologist Jenny Spelling said: “There have been concerns from residents about the risk of someone falling into the water if they mistake the weed-covered surface for solid ground. We will use specialist contractors to remove large quantities.”
John Dodwell, chair of the Montgomery Canal Partnership, added: “This invasive plant is obstructing the passage of boats and wildlife – we hear reports of swans walking along the towpath as they cannot get through the weeds.”
