Manage invasive and overgrown aquatic vegetation in lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Solutions include mechanical harvesting and safe plant control methods.
For over a decade, lakes across Northern Wisconsin have spent staggering sums of money attempting to control Eurasian water milfoil with herbicides. The Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission, formed in 2007 specifically to tackle this invasive species, is a case in point. Eurasian water milfoil grows aggressively, uprooting native vegetation, disrupting aquatic habitats,
As the harvest season winds down, aquatic weed harvesters across the region are being pulled from the water and stored for winter. For many lake districts, this time of year brings a chance to reflect on the season’s results—and the numbers out of Polk County are impressive. The Apple River Protection and Rehabilitation District (ARPRD)
Following a chemical treatment aimed at controlling aquatic vegetation in Port St. Lucie’s Elkhorn Canal, residents reported what they called the “worst smell in the entire world” as countless fish perished on the canal’s surface. Water tests revealed that dissolved oxygen levels plunged to levels unsustainable for aquatic life—an unintended but severe consequence of the
Lakes and wetlands across the United States are facing a big problem — the loss of important aquatic plants. One example is Lake Mattamuskeet in North Carolina, where underwater plants have almost disappeared. This loss is hurting the lake’s health and the many birds that depend on it. Aquatic plants are very important for keeping
Lake Killarney in northeast Tallahassee is undergoing its first major cleanup in decades, addressing years of overgrowth that made the waterway inaccessible for residents. Using a specialized aquatic weed harvester, over one million pounds of invasive vegetation were removed in just one week, with more progress to come. The cleanup effort aimed to improve water
Aquatic plants play a crucial role in freshwater ecosystems, offering essential habitats for fish and supporting a wide range of ecosystem services. Known as macrophytes, these plants grow in or around water and can either be rooted in soil or float, with some being partially or fully submerged. Researchers from Michigan State University surveyed 78
The Friends of the White River in Wisconsin saw their 2013 weed harvest get off to a good start on Wednesday, June 26. The harvester and operators were on lease from the White River Flowage Lake Management District. The harvester, by the end of work on June 27, harvested an estimated 50,000 pounds of aquatic
The City of Chestermere, Canada, announced that they had harvested 210,675 kilograms of weeds from Chestermere Lake in 2023. “I know how important the water is to residents who live adjacent to it and all residents of Chestermere. Weed harvesting and weed control are an uppermost issue in most people’s minds,” interim CAO Pat Vincent