Indiana Department of Natural Resources employee Ron Hauser runs an aquatic weed harvester at Glendale Fish and Wildlife Area on Wednesday afternoon. The harvester acts as an underwater lawn mower, removing lotus pads and coontail growing in the lake.

Aquatic weed harvesters are often used by lake managers to restore access and improve recreation in heavily vegetated waters. By cutting and removing the plants rather than leaving them to decay in the water, the harvester helps maintain navigation lanes while also removing plant material that would otherwise release nutrients back into the lake as it decomposes.