Volunteers to clean hyacinth from Bayou Teche

The TECHE Project is pleased to announce 2014 “Operation Hippo”.
In 1910, Louisiana Congressman Robert Foligny Broussard, a Democrat from New Iberia, introduced H.R. 23261, “to appropriate $250,000 for the importation of useful new animals into the United States.” These “useful new animals” were the hippopotamus and he wanted to introduce them into the swamps and bayous of Louisiana for two important reasons – the first was to solve a critical meat shortage in the United States and the second was to battle the choking invasion of Eichhornia crassipes, commonly called water hyacinth of lilies.
The “Hippo Bill” failed to pass by only one vote.
Even though the meat shortage has been fixed, the problem of the water hyacinth is still an ecological and recreation problem for our bayou. While the hippopotamus is currently on the World Conservation Union “Red List” for it’s threatened status and this project would not be feasible today, we pay homage to the historic and forward-thinking concern for this aquatic invasive plant species with the whimsical name, “Operation Hippo”.
We are pleased to announce that we have received a small grant from the American Canoe Association and L.L. Bean for the mechanical removal of water hyacinth from the Bayou Teche Paddle Trail. The TECHE Project is dedicated to an incremental approach to mechanically remove water hyacinth. We have consulted with leading experts in invasive plants at the U.S. Geological Survey-National Wetlands Research Center and University of Louisiana at Lafayette to develop our initial plan.
We would like to partner with the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, Natural Resources Conservation Service, St. Mary Soil and Water Conservation District, St. Mary Parish Government, local businesses, and volunteers to remove the most significant mats of water hyacinth in preparation for the 5th annual Tour du Teche which will be held Oct. 3-5. This effort is the beginning of a long-term solution we plan to develop in cooperation with community leadership and conservation professionals.
We have determined the best time for this removal will be September 27th and we invite the public to collaborate with us.
In the past five years the TECHE Project has successfully removed over 10 tons of debris from the Bayou Teche. At our May clean-up in Leonville, we removed 3.5 tons of garbage (including two cars!) with the help of 75 volunteers.
We are eager to expand the TECHE Project clean-up program by removing the water hyacinth from our beautiful waterway.

Dane Thibodeaux is bayou operations coordinator for the TECHE Project.