Efforts to restore Georgica Pond are proving to be successful thanks in part to the help of an aquatic weed harvester. Georgica Pond has been invaded by toxic cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, in recent years, which can cause serious health problems. For the second consecutive year, the foundation has leased an aquatic weed harvester to
It is exhausting reading about lake after lake after lake becoming infested with an over abundance of aquatic vegetation. This plant material not only negatively affects water quality, the health of the fishery, recreation, aesthetics, but it is financially devastating as well. It affects tourism; bait shops, marinas, hotels, restaurants. It affects lake property owners;
Unlike using chemicals, or doing nothing at all, the advantages of harvesting include: – Immediate relief from nuisance plants that interfere with navigation and recreation – Immediate use of the water for swimming or irrigation – There is nothing foreign introduced to the environment when using mechanical control – Biomass is removed from the water
A fairly dry winter with very little snowfall plus near drought like conditions this summer has lead to even more aquatic plants. Another invasive species is quickly filling in exposed lake beds which are occurring due to historic low water levels. Phragmites, the Common Reed, is a large perennial grass that can grow up to
Native to Africa and believed to have been introduced to American waters from the aquarium trade in the 1960’s, hydrilla has quickly spread across the southern U.S. from Connecticut to California. By the 1990’s millions was spent yearly on its control, but this year New York alone has budgeted $800,000 to fight the invasive aquatic plant.
World Water Day is held annually on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater. At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development it was recommended that there be an international day to celebrate freshwater, the United Nations General Assembly agreed and designated March 22, 1993 the
Little thought is given to aquatic weeds unless you live or recreate on the worlds waterways. The aquatic plant harvester industry has grown in response to those concerns. With Pictures of steam powered cutter boats dating back to the late 1890’s, we know that excessive plant growth has been a problem for a long time.
Ninety-eight percent of Malawi’s electricity supply comes from five hydro plants on the Shire River. An increase in floating aquatic weeds and debris caused serious operational problems at the stations and resulted in millions of dollars spent on repairs. For example, the intake structures at one plant were so blocked by accumulated weeds, water could not
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