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Why can some aquatic Alismatales species interfere with irrigation and navigation?

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Flowering rush — Alismatales Showy and delicate flowers of the flowering rush (*Butomus umbellatus*).

Certain aquatic species within the Alismatales order are often classified as weeds because of their tendency to form dense, complex communities in freshwater and marine habitats.1

These plants interfere with irrigation and navigation primarily through their role in vegetational succession. By accumulating plant debris and trapping silt, these species can cause water bodies to gradually fill in, effectively transforming aquatic environments into land over time. This process can obstruct waterways used for navigation and impede the flow of water necessary for irrigation systems.1