Lake Shawnee’s use of herbicide to combat Eurasian milfoil draws criticism

Lake Shawnee has been identified time and again as one of the most idyllic locations in Shawnee County, leading county commissioners to invest heavily in the area in recent years with new walking paths and other features.

But maintaining that beauty, and more importantly, what’s under the water, can be challenging and at times controversial.

Blue-green algae is probably the most prominent issue with aquatic vegetation that many Kansas lakes and reservoirs have dealt with, often making headlines when a new case of the toxic algae springs up. But another type of difficult-to-control vegetation rarely garners much attention from the media — Eurasian watermilfoil.