Wetland Lake Restoration - MESCOT Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo Salvinia molesta is an exotic and noxious water weed in the waterways of  eastern Sabah Borneo. Reported to have been introduced in the early 1990s,  this invasive water fern is presently engulfing the wetlands of the Lower  Kinabatangan,  choking critical wetland habitats, turning once pristine lakes,  freshwater swamps and tributaries into festering sludge pits. Floods of 2001 introduced Salvinia into the Tungog Lake. Tears of dismay  and anger were the only thing to describe the MESCOT teams initial  realisation as one of their village’s traditional fishing grounds were engulfed.  Within a short 16 months this 18ha oxbow lake was completely covered. In  2005 when MESCOT team members attempted to remove the Salvinia more  than 1m of Salvinia sludge already lined the bottom of this endangered  aquatic habitat. Today the lake remains only 4-5m deep.   Through the funding support of Alexander Abraham Foundation (NY) the  MESCOT team piloted the removal of Salvinia in late 2005. It took 14 months  of grueling hard labour to finally removal the surface cover of Salvinia.   Today the MESCOT team cleans the lake on a monthly basis supported by  funds raised through tourism and volunteer support. * For more information, or to arrange a stay contact KOPEL Office  Before (2002-2005) After (2007) Salvinia today...  Learn more about the damage and continuing struggle  against this water weed... read more...  Epic Conservation Story...  In the face of much debate and scepticism the  MESCOT Initiative proves itself worthy of ...  read more...  This image of Tungog Lake (2005) shows the infestation of Salvinia molesta has completely engulfed this oxbow lake and suffocating this critical aquatic habitat The Tungog Lake in early 2008 shows the impact of the MESCOT Lake Restoration efforts in removing the Salvinia cover on this lake © created for KOPEL by CREST Sustainable Tourism Planning