Bamboo sticks have clogged several storm drains in the Village of Celoron and Burtis Bay, which some are concerned about, creating a safety hazard. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee

CELORON – Burtis Bay residents are going to get some help with cleanup of Japanese Knotweed piles that have washed up on their shoreline – as long as invasive weed growth in Chautauqua Lake cooperates.

Doug Conroe, Chautauqua Lake Association executive director, said the association is aware of the debris fields that were reported on by The Post-Journal on May 3, and CLA work crews will return to the areas to begin cleanup operations.

“As long as the plant life (subaquatic) remains low, we should have time, with no additional resources needed, to clean up the area around Burtis Bay,” he said. “The Japanese Knotweed is almost next to impossible to eradicate.”

Recently, a debris field that appeared on the shores of Chautauqua Lake, particularly in the Celoron and Burtis Bay areas. The debris, which looks like bamboo, was described by a fisherman as looking like an aircraft carrier in the lake. Chautauqua Lake Watershed and Management Alliance officials suspected the mass was largely Japanese Knotweed, a diagnosis that was confirmed by Conroe and his wife, Jane Conroe, who is director of the Chautauqua-Conewango Consortium.

Mrs. Conroe said in an email to The Post-Journal regarding a photo that she submitted that the streamside knotweed was likely caused by improper disposal years ago. She said it’s not uncommon for the plant to look dead yet still be alive and spreading. Japanese Knotweed is extremely invasive and aggressive.

According to the United States National Park Service, Japanese Knotweed stalks have been compared to those of bamboo, hollow and segmented. However, the plant is in the buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family. The leaves are broad, complete, and alternating. The stems tend to take on an orange color once they mature, while the leaves are dark green. Each individual stalks flowers at the end of the summer growing season, producing clumps of small, white flowers. After fruit is made, the stalks are killed off by the fall season’s first frost.

However, they quickly return from rhizomes below them come spring. Additionally, Japanese knotweed grows in dense stands and quickly reaches incredible heights. This makes it almost impossible for herbivores to feed on or trample it to keep it under control. Its roots are also incredibly hardy, and the only way to permanently remove a stand of Japanese knotweed is to completely dig out and remove its rhizomes, a nearly impossible feat.

Its fruits are effortlessly carried away by the currents of waterways and the wind. Often, plants find their way into gardens, tended by the unsuspecting who remain oblivious to the havoc they can wreak. This ignorance transforms management into an unending struggle, as the invasive presence continues to proliferate and disrupt local ecosystems.

The earliest recorded arrival of Japanese Knotweed in North America was in the 1800s. The plant was initially intended for ornamental and privacy purposes in domesticated gardens and affluent households. The knotweed is native to Asian countries, primarily Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. It is currently one of the most invasive plants in the world and is thought to be found on every continent except Antarctica.

Doug Conroe discussed the dynamics of water flow in the lake, noting that Celoron acts as a catcher’s mitt for the entire lake system. As a result, debris fields and other navigational hazards often accumulate in the bay area.

“We’ve had some pretty significant storms that produce rain runoff,” said Doughlas Conroe. “The Japanese Knotweed looks like they are all dead – I’m not seeing any signs or indications that someone dumped the knotweeds in the lake.”

Twan Leenders, director of conservation for the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, said he’s seen knotweeds in big clumps at Falconer Park and behind Hope’s Windows.

“The Japanese Knotweed tends to be near riverbanks,” he said. “If it falls in the water then it gets transplanted downstream. Timing is everything. If you try to treat the knotweed- it needs to be unified and done at the same time.”