In Minneapolis, the park district’s mechanical harvester has been mowing Eurasian watermilfoil in the Chain of Lakes since before Memorial Day. It began several weeks earlier than usual, said Deb Pilger, director of environmental operations, due to the warm and early-starting spring that caused a healthy crop of invasive aquatic weed growth.
The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District in Minnesota also launched its two aquatic plant harvesters to cut and harvest the milfoil that is already flowering on the surface. The curly leaf pondweed, another aquatic invasive with the ability to grow under winter ice, has died off in the water unusually early this year, releasing phosphorus, which has caused the algae to bloom.