Fleet of Aquatic Plant Harvesters Ready to Battle Weeds on Yahara Lake

/ Published in aquatic plant harvester, weed harvesting
Aquatic Weed Harvester
Dane County’s fleet of 13 weed harvesters is motoring up to cut and remove tons of aquatic plants in the Yahara chain of lakes this summer, a continuation of a program to try and reduce lake flooding and lower the amount of algae-producing phosphorus. The 13 harvesters are two more than last year, and the

Billions Invested in Clean Water: Port Milwaukee Implements a Range of Methods to Great Success

/ Published in marine debris, trash skimmer
Milwaukee Trash Skimmer
In 2012, an environmental star of sorts was born, celebrated by Milwaukeeans, especially those who enjoy strolling along the Milwaukee Riverwalk or kayaking on Milwaukee River. The Lynyrd Skymmr is a 50-foot-long river skimmer that cruises Port Milwaukee‘s waterways several times a week to collect floating debris — dead fish, plastic bottles, branches and other

Keeping Milwaukee’s Waterways Clean for the DNC

/ Published in aquatic debris skimmer
MMSD Trash Skimmer
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District is preparing for the Democratic National Convention and the appearance of clean water is a big part of show casing what the city offers. Milwaukee’s Trash Hunter, the Lynyrd Skymmr plays a huge role in keeping the waterways debris free. This debris skimmer boat can collect anything from plastic bottles

Seaplane Pilots Testing Invasive Species Education

/ Published in invasive species
Seaplane at Dock
Pacific Northwest seaplane pilots have pioneered a program that would allow pilots to perform their own invasive species inspections prior to landing in another state’s waters rather than requiring state or federal inspectors to perform the examination. Participants watch an educational video, take an accompanying quiz, and pocket a completion certificate. The course describes how

Use of Herbicide to Combat Eurasian Milfoil Draws Criticism

/ Published in milfoil
Pewaukee Lake Aquatic Plant Management
Lake Shawnee has been identified time and again as one of the most idyllic locations in Shawnee County, Kansas, leading county commissioners to invest heavily in the area in recent years with new walking paths and other features. But maintaining that beauty, and more importantly, what’s under the water, can be challenging and at times

Microplastics in the Great Lakes: 1,941 Particles Per Pound of Sediment

/ Published in microplastic pollution, plastic pollution
Small Plastic Particles are Microplastics
From the Great Pacific garbage patch to inland rivers, plastics are among the most widespread contaminants on Earth. Microplastics—particles of plastic smaller than five millimeters—are especially pervasive. As they build up in Earth’s waters, microplastics are also becoming a permanent part of the planet’s sedimentary layers. Now, using the Great Lakes as a laboratory, sedimentary

Invasive Plant Could Cost Salmon Industry $159 Million Annually

/ Published in elodea
Aquatic Plant Elodea
A common aquarium plant illegally dumped into Alaskan waters that has adapted to cold weather could threaten wild salmon habitat and cost the commercial fishing industry hundreds of millions of dollars. A recent study conducted by ISER, the Institute of Social and Economic Research, found that if not managed, the cost of the elodea invasion

Increased Reservoir Vegetation Pleases Anglers, Frustrates Boaters

/ Published in aquatic vegetation
Texas Governor Test Drives TVA's Aquatic Weed Harvester
A recent increase in aquatic vegetation in Wheeler Reservoir in Alabama has anglers smiling, but local skiers, pleasure boaters and homeowners see the weeds as a menace. Tennessee Valley Authority officials said they are hearing lots of complaints from homeowners and boaters about the hydrilla, eel grass, star grass and milfoil up and down the

Starry Stonewort has Makings of High-Impact Invader

/ Published in starry stonewort
Aquatic Invasive Species Starry Stonewort
It’s only found in 14 Minnesota lakes at this point, but starry stonewort has the potential to cause lots of harm, and fast. Recent research shows that the macroalgae has the potential to be the high-impact invader in Minnesota lakes that many already fear it is. It warrants the high prioritization that public agencies and

Plastic Waste Kills Half a Million Crabs on Remote Island

/ Published in plastic pollution
Plastic Trash on Shoreline
In the first study of its kind, an Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS)-led research team estimates that more than 560,000 hermit crabs have been killed on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean and the Henderson Island in the Pacific after being trapped in plastic debris. The study was carried out by