aquatic vegetation removal – Aquarius-Systems

Aquatic Weed Harvester Controls Filamentous Algae in Private Community Ponds

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:15:45 +0000

White River Harvesting Restores Flow and Waterway Health

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 21:32:44 +0000

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 vegetation currently choking out the waterway.

A very positive impact on the millpond can be seen from the Highway 73 bridge. The channels cut are extremely obvious and show what a clean body of water can look like. A healthy millpond remains the focus of most Friends members. If the millpond is not maintained, impacts on other parts of the White River will be noticed in years to come.

Apple River Harvesting Removes 251 Tons of Aquatic Weeds

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:58:33 +0000

Although it only operated for 22 days this fall, the Apple River Protection and Rehabilitation District in Wisconin (ARPRD) removed 112 loads of aquatic vegetation from the Apple River – 251 tons of weeds according to a report by operations manager, Dale Richardson.

Harvester operators volunteer their time and currently have 2 primary and 2 backup operators that received training from Aquarius Systems. There are several volunteers lined up for next year already too. According to Richardson, each load of harvested vegetation is approximately 275 cubic feet and weighs about 4,480 lbs.

The aquatic vegetation had been so bad the past few years that some did not even attempt to get their boats and pontoons in the water. After the second day of cutting, fishermen and recreational boaters were taking advantage of the open water to enjoy some of their favorite past times. The cut vegetation will be of great use to many as well, Dragonfly Nursery will use the vegetation as compost and farmer Brad Fougner will use the material as fertilizer next year.

Aquarius Harvester Still Performing Decades Later on Fox River

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 22:08:29 +0000

Waukesha Freeman, July 6, 2011 – Workers from Midwest Aquatics unload cut weeds from a mechanical harvester in the Fox River off of Frame Park on Tuesday. Aquatic weeds are cut, then taken from the water on a conveyor, then transfered to a second boat and removed.

This 1990 Aquarius Systems HM-320 Aquatic Plant Harvester is still running strong, a testament to the craftmanship!

Mechanical Harvesting Tackles Curly-Leaf Pondweed in East Okoboji Lake

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 19:06:15 +0000

Invasive curlyleaf pondweed has been choking East Okoboji Lake, snarling boat propellers, burning up motors and shutting down swimming, tubing and other water sports in an area that depends on recreation.

The weed’s invasion is driving heated debates about how to control it — from using mechanical removal to administering herbicides that raise concerns about drinking water safety.

An aquatic weed harvester has logged 300 hours this spring, chopping and pulling out about 450,000 pounds of weeds from East Okoboji Lake. The plants are drying in a couple of remote spots, with the hopes that farmers might be able to use them for fertilizer.

Chautauqua Lake Removes 15 Million Pounds of Weeds and Debris

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:11:37 +0000

The Chautauqua Lake Association in New York, announced that over 15 million pounds of aquatic vegetation and storm debris were removed from the lake this summer. Lake cleanup efforts began in May and continued through September.

The CLA is managed by an all-volunteer board of directors and funds the organization receives are used to pay summer staff who receives help from volunteers as well. Over 116 Cummins Engine employees donated more than 450 hours to aid the CLA crews in lake maintenance efforts. Participants from the Welfare-to-Work program also help with staffing by working over 350 hours on debris barges.

Mechanical Harvesting Removes Eelgrass from Local River Channel

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 17:31:48 +0000

About 40 trailers full of vallisneria americana, or eelgrass, have been removed from a site on the river nearby the Hamburg Road bridge since Monday, and about another 30 truckloads will be removed by Friday, said Pat Hohl, township supervisor.

A Professional Lake Management Inc. crew is using operator-run machinery to harvest, or chop, the thick weeds, which would reach chest-level if someone waded into the river, Hohl said.

The harvested eelgrass is being transported to vacant, township-owned property behind the community’s wastewater-treatment plant. There, the weeds will be allowed to rot, and could eventually be used as fertilizer.

The process does not involve chemical applications.

Chautauqua Lake Crews Remove 3 Million Pounds of Vegetation With Harvesters

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 21:15:47 +0000

The past two months have been productive for the Chautauqua Lake Association in New York, and the work is just getting started. July is expected to be even more productive with the expansion to a third site to efficiently maintain Chautauqua Lake’s ecology.

To date this season, the Lakewood and Long Point crews have removed 183 truck loads of aquatic vegetation from Chautauqua Lake, totaling more than 3 million pounds. Last week alone the CLA crews removed 500,00 pounds of vegetation from the lake.

Not only does the Chautauqua Lake Association use aquatic plant harvesters to cut and remove the lake weeds, but they also remove floating debris, shoreline and post-storm clean-up, plus scientific monitoring to meet lake management needs.

Benefits of Weed Harvesting for Water Quality and Nutrient Removal

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 18:04:26 +0000

Benefits of Weed Harvesting
Dr. Stephen J. Souza
Lake Hopatcong Commission Environmental Consultant

One of the most obvious management activities of the Lake Hopatcong Commission is the weed harvesting program. Some may view this as a simple “mowing” of the Lake. However, much more is accomplished than simply opening boating lanes and improving swimming. The harvested weeds represent a significant amount of biomass, and associated nutrients, that if not removed would otherwise add to the siltation of the Lake and contribute to its future eutrophication.

In its first three years of operation, because of the concerted, coordinated efforts of the Lake Hopatcong Commission, over nine million pounds of weeds were removed from the Lake. This could not have been accomplished without the state-of-art harvesting equipment and the dedicated staff of the Lake Hopatcong Commission. From a water quality perspective, the removal of this much weed mass is very important. The phosphorus associated with these weeds is roughly 1,200 pounds.

Although this may not sound like a lot, a single pound of phosphorus can support over 1,100 pounds of algae. Thus, through the weed harvesting efforts of the Lake Hopatcong Commission in New Jersey, phosphorus, that otherwise would be recycled through the Lake and fuel future weed and algae growth, is removed. This has a direct positive benefit to the long-term water quality of the Lake and the control of the Lake’s eutrophication. As such, the weed harvesting program contributes in more than the obvious way in the revitalization of the lake and the improvement of its water quality.

Mechanical Weed Harvester Helps Bakersfield Control Lake Weeds

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:46:36 +0000

The Bakersfield big blue mechanical monster in the lake is pretty intimidating up close. The aquatic weed harvester acts like an underwater lawn mower. It moves about 5 mph and has cutter blades underneath it with an adjustable swath of about 8 feet wide and 6 feet deep.

The blades cut the weeds as they grow toward the surface of the water, which then float up to a conveyor belt. The belt transfers the weeds to a space in the center of the boat that is emptied out on shore where the weeds are picked up, put in trucks and hauled away.

“The big advantage of it is that we don’t have to use a lot of chemicals,” says Don Richardson, Bakersfield Water superintendent.

Using chemicals to kill weeds in lakes can be dangerous because the chemicals could seep into the groundwater. Also, one chemical treatment for a lake can cost about $16,000. The used boat was purchased in August 2011 for $25,000 and according to Richardson, has already paid for itself.