[3] It is now introduced to North America and considered a weedy invasive species in the eastern half of the United States from Florida to Oklahoma to New Hampshire to Ontario to South Dakota.

[5][6][7] Najas minor is distributed widely in the Northern Hemisphere, such as Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Europe.

The thick, clustering growths of brittle naiad can make fishing access or the operation of a boat difficult in a pond or lake.

Brittle naiad may spread to new areas by stem fragments carried on a boat's hull, deck, propeller, or trailer.

Control measures for brittle naiad include the use of aquatic herbicides, but application of chemicals may not destroy the seeds.