Wood County, Wisconsin

Official Website

User Icon Login

Invasive Species in Wood County

The goal is to slow the spread of invasive species in Wood County and beyond through education and control.

Terrestrial Invasive Species

Common/Glossy Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica/Frangula alnus) [Field ID Guide] [Brochure]
Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)
Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) [Field ID Guide] [Recipes]
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica or Polygonum cuspidatum) [Field ID Guide]
Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) [Field ID Guide]

We keep an updated map of the locations of leafy spurge. Contact us if you would like the map or if you would like to report a sighting of leafy spurge.

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) [Field ID Guide] [Brochure]

Wood County works with Grove Elementary, Port Edwards, and Grant Elementary schools to raise beetles as a biological control to purple loosestrife. [Map of beetle release sites]

Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) [Field ID Guide] [UW Madison Weed Science ID Video]

On March 21, 2017, The Wood County Board passed a resolution designating wild parsnip as a “noxious weed” within Wood County.

We keep an updated map of the locations of wild parsnip. Contact us if you would like the map or if you would like to report a sighting of wild parsnip. [Information on the Dangers of Wild Parsnip] Wild Parsnip Look-A-Likes

Aquatic Invasive Species

Curly-Leaf Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)

Located in the Cranberry Flowage, Lake Dexter, Nepco Lake, and Lake Wazeecha.

Eurasian Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) [Fact Sheet]

Located in the Biron Flowage, Hemlock Creek, Nepco Lake, Petenwell Lake, Ross Lake, Lake Wazeecha.

Rusty Crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) [Brochure]

Located in Cranberry Creek, Lake Kaunewinne, Lake Wazeecha, Moccasin Creek, Mosquito Creek, Nepco Lake, Puff Creek, the Wisconsin Rapids Flowage, and the Yellow River.

Wood County works with Todd Steward and his Pittsville high school students to trap rusty crayfish every spring. See their [article in Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine]

Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

Located in Nepco Lake, Petenwell Lake, Lake Wazeecha, parts of the Wisconsin River