Can hydrilla grow in the desert?

Yes. While it won't grow in dry desert washes, hydrilla thrives in the slow-moving, sun-baked waters of Arizona's man-made irrigation canals and reservoirs.

Why is hydrilla dangerous for Arizona?

Arizona relies heavily on engineered canals like the Central Arizona Project (CAP) to move water across the desert. Hydrilla clogs these canals, drastically slowing water flow and damaging pumps.

How does hydrilla spread in Arizona?

Because natural waterways are sparse, spread in Arizona is almost entirely driven by humans—specifically recreational boaters trailering boats between isolated lakes.

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Hydrilla in Arizona: Desert Waterways at Risk

Learn how hydrilla threatens Arizona's highly engineered water infrastructure, irrigation canals, and isolated desert reservoirs.

The Infrastructure Threat

Unlike the Southeast, where Hydrilla verticillata is primarily a threat to natural lakes and recreational fisheries, the threat in Arizona is almost entirely infrastructural.

Arizona's economy and agriculture depend heavily on highly engineered, concrete-lined water conveyance systems, such as the Central Arizona Project (CAP), to move water from the Colorado River to major metropolitan areas like Phoenix and Tucson. If hydrilla takes root in these slow-moving, sun-drenched canals, the resulting biomass can severely restrict water flow and cause massive economic damage.

Vulnerable Desert Systems

The Colorado River System: The massive reservoirs along the Colorado River (like Lake Havasu and Lake Mohave) provide prime shallow-water habitat for aquatic weeds and serve as vectors for further spread into the state's interior.
Central Arizona Project (CAP): A 336-mile diversion canal that provides water to over 80% of the state's population. Keeping this system clear of invasive aquatic weeds is a top priority for state authorities.
Isolated Urban Lakes: Smaller, man-made recreational lakes in urban areas (like those in the Phoenix metro) often struggle with hydrilla introduced via the illegal dumping of aquariums.

Prevention Over Mitigation

Because water is such a scarce and heavily managed resource in Arizona, the state focuses heavily on prevention and rapid eradication rather than long-term "maintenance control."

Arizona Game and Fish utilizes aggressive "Clean, Drain, Dry" campaigns at major boat ramps. If hydrilla is detected in an urban lake or canal, authorities quickly deploy targeted aquatic herbicides and, where appropriate, heavily stock sterile grass carp (white amur) to eliminate the plant before it can spread into municipal drinking supplies.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Hydrilla in Arizona: Desert Waterways at Risk

References

Information presented on this page is supported by peer-reviewed research, federal agencies, and state resource management programs.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) – Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Databasehttps://nas.er.usgs.gov
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Aquatic Plant Control Research Programhttps://www.erdc.usace.army.mil
NOAA Aquatic Invasive Species Programhttps://www.noaa.gov