aquatic plant harvesting equipment – Aquarius-Systems

Apple River Flowage Wraps Up Another Strong Harvest Season

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 16:03:21 +0000

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) reported removing roughly 2.73 million pounds of aquatic vegetation from the Apple River Flowage as of June of this year. This follows back-to-back years where totals reached around 3.8 million pounds, highlighting a consistent and highly productive management program.

Keeping the Flowage Open and Healthy

The 640-acre Apple River Flowage sits within a watershed that covers more than 111,000 acres. As with many Wisconsin waterways, invasive and fast-growing native plants—like coontail and curly-leaf pondweed—can quickly limit boating access, trap nutrients, and reduce dissolved oxygen levels if left unmanaged.

Through consistent mechanical harvesting, the ARPRD helps maintain navigation channels, improve water flow, and reduce the buildup of decaying plant matter that can lead to poor water quality. Unlike chemical treatments, mechanical removal takes the vegetation out of the water entirely, helping reduce nutrient recycling and long-term regrowth.

A Sustainable Approach to Aquatic Management

Mechanical harvesting is one of the most effective and environmentally responsible tools for managing dense aquatic growth. By physically removing weeds rather than killing them in place, this method helps protect fish habitat, limit algae growth, and keep waterways open for recreation.

The Apple River Flowage’s ongoing success shows how local commitment, steady maintenance, and the right equipment can make a lasting impact on the health of a waterway.

Learn about ARPRD

Weed Harvesters as Workboats – WorkBoat.com

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Weed harvesters as workboats
By WorkBoat Staff
11/15/2011

As we’ve been following efforts by folks such as those along the Cuyahoga River in Ohio to establish greenery along previously dead rivers, perhaps opening them to more passenger vessel traffic as people again see these rivers as something they’d like to ride along, our attention was grabbed by a class of workboats that specializes in this area.

Such as those made by Aquarius Systems, who recently posted a video of their latest delivery. If nothing else, they’re kind of cool looking:

See the Canal Cleaner in Action!

Aquatic Plant Harvesters for Efficient Lake Weed Management

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:29:53 +0000

Aquatic Plant Harvesters offer an environmentally sound method of controlling excessive aquatic plant growth and nuisance vegetation in waterways of all sizes. These heavy duty work boats are highly efficient in the management of submerged, emergent and free floating aquatic vegetation.

Like an underwater lawn mower, an aquatic weed harvester cuts aquatic vegetation, collecting and storing the weeds on board. Aquatic weed harvesters are fitted with a pick up conveyor at the forward end of the machine, which can be lowered up to six feet deep to cut weeds. One horizontal and two vertical cutter bars sever the vegetation as the machine moves forward through the water, and, when the storage hold becomes full, the weed harvester returns to shore to unload.

Depending on the size of your lake, the type of your weeds, the percentage of weeds you would like to remove, and how quickly you would like to harvest them, we will work with you to design a fully customizable weed harvester to meet your exact needs.

Although many of our mechanical weed harvesters are customized to match the needs for your lake, a variety of models are available at stock sizes ranging between 100 feet³(or 1,500 lbs) and 1,050 feet³ (or 16,800 lbs) for capacity of cut vegetation held on board.