Controlling nuisance plants in Dane County lakes is a key element in an updated plan being worked on by county officials. The Land and Water Resources Department tries to balance a reasonable use of the lakes through boating, fishing and swimming, while preserving the health and balance of the lake ecosystem. The use of mechanical
Posted on July 9, 2013 by Dan O’Keefe, Michigan State University Extension Aquatic ecologists tend to avoid the term “weeds” when referring to macrophytes – the rooted aquatic plants that many swimmers and boaters disdain. These plants provide food for waterfowl and habitat for fish, but they can also play a critical role in maintaining
Water chestnuts are fast-growing invasive aquatic plants that choke waterways, damaging recreational opportunities and natural habitats. These plants displace native species, reduce biodiversity, hamper recreational uses and diminish the aesthetic value of bodies of water. They can negatively impact native vegetation and fish populations by forming large dense mats of vegetation on the water surface,
The ongoing battle against aquatic weeds is getting tougher as one of the most invasive species is developing an herbicide-resistant strain and ongoing drought changes the landscape of the lakes. Some lakes use mechanical harvesters to cut weeds and haul them away. In Paddock Lake, Wisconsin, Administrator Tim Popanda said, a two-man crew works on
Mechanical control methods involve the complete or partial removal of plants by mechanical means, including: harvesting, shredding, mowing, rototilling, rotovating, and chaining. These management techniques for plants rarely result in localized eradication of the species, but rather, reduce target plant abundance to non-nuisance levels. Mechanical Harvesting – A mechanical aquatic harvester (harvester) is a type
The Lake Wausau Association is hoping to remove several hundred pounds of Curly-leaf Pondweed from the water and they’re working non-stop to make sure it happens as soon as possible. Curly leaf pondweed grows under the ice during the winter, but in the summer months it dies off after it reproduces. As it dies and
A very warm winter combined with a long spring and a hot dry summer caused the weeds to flourish at an accelerated rate at Cheshire Reservoir in Massachusetts. A treatment to control Vallisnaria americana weed, also known as tape grass from the reservoir generated a massive release of the weeds grip on the lake bottom.
The City of Pflugerville, Texas, has completed six weeks of unwanted vegetation removal at Lake Pflugerville, the City announced Thursday. According to a release by the City, the process resulted in 250 boat loads and approximately 500 cubic yards of aquatic vegetation removed. The aquatic plant harvester cuts the vegetation down approximately 2-5 feet from
A mechanical milfoil harvesting machine has seen steady work on Black Lake in New York this summer, according to one of the owners of the apparatus. Black Lake resident Bob Gordon said he purchased the equipment along with fellow businessman Jay Carter and has been contracting with local waterfront property owners to help pull up
The Iowa Great Lakes area is an incredible place to live, visit and recreate. Much of their economy is tied to these area lakes. Sometimes, difficult decisions come along, such as the curlyleaf pondweed issue on the north end of East Okoboji. It is an exotic that showed up in the 1950s, but in recent
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