What about putting aquatic plants in the stream? I have a stream?

Question

on my property but its been polluted by upstream sources I cant track . It has a slight sewage smell! Is it possible to load up the stream with some type of aquatic plant to raise its oxygen levels or somthing ?

Answer 1

You can use plants to filter pollutants out of water. It is something we call bio-remediation. Depending on the plant type you can filter, or use the plant as a sink, for almost anything. I worked on a project for the Forest Service where we used Short Rotation Woody Crops (pines, sweet gums, poplars, etc.) to remove radio active material from the soil.

You should contact your local agriculture extension (here in South Carolina it is the Clemson Extension), and they will be able to give you a list of vegetation that is best suited to your location and purpose.

Non-Point Source pollution is one of the most pervasive issues in remediation today. What you're talking about doing is the best first step towards remediating this issue.

Answer 2

The ability of a stream to support aquatic plants depends on how much energy the stream has during floods. Many streams cannot support aquatic plants because they get washed out at high flows.

Streams can smell for three reasons: sewage or bacteria in the water, blue-green algae, and anaerobic sediments. Sewage and anaerobic sediments both have a sulfurish odor. Blue-green algae has a pond scum smell that almost burns your nose.

In the US, both states and the US EPA have standards that streams must meet. Many times, nutrients from fertilizers and phosphate detergents are the cause of the smell. If you planted aquatic plants on your property, it is unlikely that they could remove enough nutrients to make any difference, and emergent plant use up more oxygen form water than they add because the oxygen is released to the air.

If you want to oxygenate the water, the best way is to construct a series steps that partially span the stream. You can see some common designs at the link below. The elevation drop at each steps creates turbulence that oxygenates the water. Steps cannot be added if the stream isn't steep to begin with.

The Corps of Engineers and most states require a permit to alter a stream. You can usually get some assistance from the local Natural Resources Conservation Service off that is located in most counties.

Answer 3

Sounds too good to be possible. If such plants existed, much of the pollution and sewarage ploblems of this planet would have been easily resolved. May be one day, mother nature may make this possible in a bid to save the planet from too early extinction, but for now, we need to do it the hard and expensive way.