Water Soldier Eradication

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An inter-agency working group on water soldier was formed in 2013 to help coordinate research, monitoring, control and prevention strategies. Agency groups include: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources , Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Trent University, Lower Trent Conservation, and Parks Canada.

Call To Action!

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has developed a prevention and response plan to enable people and organizations to undertake low risk activities to monitor, control, and in some cases eradicate these invasive plants without the need for an authorization under the Invasive Species Act, 2015. The plan also includes detailed best management practices for water soldier.

Download the Prevention and Response Plan for Water Soldier to help monitor, control and help eradicate water soldier populations.

Water Soldier in the Bay of Quinte - 2025 Application Information

October 9th Update:

All ProcellaCOR FX sites were completed on Wednesday, October 8.
All Reward (Diquat dibromide) sites were completed on Wednesday, October 8th and Thursday, October 9th.

2025 Treatment Locations

An aquatic herbicide application (Reward (Diquat dibromide)) was applied Wednesday, October 8th and Thursday, October 9th at the following locations around the Bay of Quinte:

Baker Island to Bay Marine, Quinte West (2.3 ha)
Montrose Road to Wedgewood Lane, Quinte West (1.2 ha)
Gracefield Lane to Wilkie Street, Belleville (0.8 ha)
Sawguin Creek Wetland North, Ameliasburgh (4 ha)
Blessington Creek, Belleville (1.1 ha)
West Muscote Bay, Prince Edward County (4.8 ha)
Sawguin Island to Grape Island, Prince Edward County (19.6 ha)
Manley Drive, Point Anne, Belleville (2.5 ha)
Robinson Cove, Sophiasburgh (0.5 ha)
North Port Boat Launch, Sophiasburgh (0.5 ha)

An aquatic herbicide application (ProcellaCOR FX) was applied Wednesday, October 8th, 2025 at the following locations around the Bay of Quinte:

Pine Point, Ameliasburgh (1.5 ha)
Cow Island, Prince Edward County (0.5 ha)
Thrasher Lane, Quinte West (0.5 ha)
Wilkie Street, Belleville (0.5 ha)
West Zwick’s Island Park, Belleville (2 ha)
Bluff Point, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory (4.9 ha)
Lower Sucker Creek, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory (1.5 ha)
Haig Road, Belleville (3 ha)
Deseronto Yacht Club (0.5 ha)

For more information about the aquatic herbicide application, call 613-391-4122. Calls received after hours will be returned the next business day.

Water Soldier treatment areas in Bay of Quinte

Deseronto

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Wilkie St

Gracefiled Lane to Wilkie St.

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | West Zwicks

West Zwicks Island Park

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Robinson Cove

Robinson Cove | Sophiasburgh

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Point Anne

Manley Drive | Point Anne

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Pine Point

Pine Point | Ameliasburgh

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | North Port

North Port Boat Launch | Sophiasburgh

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Montrose Rd

Montrose Road to Wedgewood Lane

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Lower Sucker Creek

Lower Sucker Creek | Tyendinaga

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Haig Rd

Haig Road to Blessington Creek

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Bluff Point

Bluff Point | Tyendinaga

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Baker Island

Baker Island & Bay Marine

Water Soldier treatment in Bay of Quinte area | Airport Creek Marsh

Airport Creek Marsh | Tyendinaga

Water Soldier in the Trent Severn Waterway – 2025 Herbicide Application Information

An aquatic herbicide application is scheduled for the control of water soldier in Lake Seymour, Crowe Bay, and Percy Reach.

Shoreline residents immediately adjacent to specific treatment locations will receive direct notification prior to treatment.

Start Date: October 6, 2025 (weather permitting)
Herbicide: Reward® (Diquat dibromide)

The water soldier infestation is being managed from upstream to downstream.

In Lake Seymour the water soldier infestation has been greatly reduced through hand pulling. This year 13.61 hectares will be treated with herbicide.
In Crowe Bay 9.09 hectares will be treated with herbicide.
In the river from Campbellford to Lock 8 no water soldier has been found and no herbicide will be applied in 2025.
In Percy Reach 17.7 hectares will be treated with herbicide.
The Wilson Island back channel and the wetlands along the shorelines of Glen Ross have the most established infestation of water soldier remaining in lower Trent River. In 2025, this area will not be treated past Hickory Island. Residents in this area are encouraged to remove or report any water soldier in the water or along the shoreline near their docks. Watch the See It, Pull It video for tips about how to remove, dispose of, and report water soldier: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh9TcNQnLBY

Water Soldier Treatment Lake Seymour & Crowe Bay

Monitoring

Trent-Severn Waterway
Each year from June – August, sections of the Trent-Severn Waterway are monitored for the aquatic invasive plant, water soldier. Teams from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Parks Canada, and the Ministry of Natural Resources systematically monitor using a 50m x 50m point intercept, recording the presence/absence and abundance of water soldier. The results from monitoring help inform treatment success and needs.

Gallery

OFAH/MNR Invading Species Awareness Program. (2021). Programs – Water Soldier Eradication. Retrieved from: www.invadingspecies.com.
This factsheet may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes.

Header photo by Jay Callaghan, OFAH.