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 of barge used for a variety of tasks, including aquatic plant management and trash removal in rivers, lakes, bays, and harbors. Harvesters are designed to collect and unload vegetation and debris using a conveyor system on a boom, adjustable to the appropriate cutting height, up to 6 feet below the surface of the water.
Shredding – Swamp Devils and Cookie cutters are small barges designed to shred aquatic weeds, equipped with engine-powered, front-mounted blades. The cookie cutter was developed to address emergent aquatic vegetation and floating islands of vegetation and sediment, and to cut openings in shoreline and wetland areas through emergent wetland plants (USACE).