The CHESPAX team is gearing up for another Spring SAV (Submerged Aquatic Vegetation) season with the Calvert County Public School’s 7th graders. There are several species of SAV that can be found in Cocktown Creek during the spring. One species of SAV that is normally prevalent in high numbers early in the season is Horned Pondweed.
Horned Pondweed is very similar to Slender Pondweed but has an important difference. The leaves on Horned Pondweed grow in clusters opposite one another on the stem and it has “horn-like” seeds that grow between the leaves and the stem during the late spring. Because Horned Pondweed is comparable to Slender Pondweed when flowers and seeds are not present, this is a tricky SAV species for 7th grade students to identify.
Last spring, we completed 46 surveys. The students were able to find Horned Pondweed samples 97% of the time. There was one testing area between markers 1 and 2, where they were unable to locate Horned Pondweed. Between those specific markers, the bottom of the creek is not as flat, and the water is deeper. Both factors make this area not as hospitable for SAV growth.
Compare the photos below:
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