Overview

• Pistia stratiotes now blankets nearly the entire 13,500-hectare expanse of Lake Suchitlan, blocking access to open water.
• Local fishermen have been unable to cast nets for over ten days and shore restaurants report a steep drop in customers.
• Researchers link the plant’s explosive growth to aluminum, arsenic and lead carried by polluted tributaries acting as fertilizer.
• State crews operating five dredging barges have removed about 6.3 hectares so far, an area equivalent to nine soccer fields.
• Scientists warn that without coordinated watershed pollution controls, mechanical removal alone will not prevent future outbreaks.