Chautauqua Lake Association in New York performed a study focused on weed harvesting.
People believe that the harvesting operation loses a lot of plant material and critics of mechanical harvesting say crews don’t collect enough of the plant material that they cut, leaving behind floaters.
After operating the weed harvester, reliable data collected shows that the harvesters leave less than 1% of the loose debris behind.
Robert Johnson, a research biologist with Racine-Johnson Aquatic Ecologists says mechanical harvesters were not solely responsible for weeds left in the water. Wave action pulls plants from the bottom and piles them on the shoreline. Recreational action also plays a big role in the amount of floating vegetation from skiers, boat action (prop chop), fishing and swimming.