Iowa – Aquarius-Systems

HM-1020 Harvester Removes 16,000 Pounds of Weeds in 20 Minutes at Carter Lake

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 19:26:51 +0000

Carter Lake is an old oxbow lake of the Missouri River and is now an urban lake shared by two different cities (Omaha, Nebraska and Carter Lake, Iowa), in two counties (Douglas and Pottawattamie) and two states (Nebraska and Iowa).

A vital part of the area’s watershed, Carter Lake is a natural catch basin for storm runoff and melting snows. Excess nutrients being washed into the lakes leads to excessive aquatic plant growth.

The Aquarius Systems HM-1020 Aquatic Plant Harvester is the perfect solution for Carter Lake. The 1020 easily collected a full 16,000 lbs of cut vegetation in only 20 minutes of harvesting. This harvester holds so many weeds that it took two trucks to accept all of the harvested vegetation.

Raccoon River Pollution Threatens Drinking Water With Nitrates and Toxic Algae

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:11:56 +0000

A national environmental organization labeled the Raccoon River one of the country’s most endangered because of toxic algae and nitrates. Des Moines Water Works called it a “catastrophe,” as the Raccoon is the major source for drinking water for a half-million Iowans.

Des Moines Water Works, after dumping as much as $250,000 a year into buying water from the increasingly polluted Saylorville Lake, is now considering a $50 million treatment plant expansion. But who will pay for it?

The report that labeled the Raccoon River endangered blamed the problem on the farm chemicals and livestock manure that are running from those emerald fields into our increasingly sickly green rivers and streams. However a lawsuit to share the cost with upstream polluters failed along with a separate case against the state of Iowa alleging the state was violating the public trust by failing to protect the Raccoon River from pollution.

Read More https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/07/12/green-water-is-costing-iowans-millions-of-greenbacks/

Iowa Crews Harvest Nearly 1 Million Pounds of Curlyleaf Pondweed to Clear Boat Lanes

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 20:48:31 +0000

With all of the rainfall over the past three weeks or so, the topic of curlyleaf pondweed has kind of taken a back seat. However, as we enter the month of July, it is a good time to reflect on the results of the 2018 curlyleaf pondweed treatment and harvesting process.

Mechanical harvesting of East Okoboji and in Lower Gar (Iowa) initially began on May 13, but it was halted until May 16 to get more weeds closer to the surface.

During the 3½ weeks of mechanical harvesting, 321 loads of cut curlyleaf were transferred to shore with 200 cubic feet per load. The weight of the harvested (wet) curlyleaf was 15 pounds per cubic feet. This led to a total of 963,000 pounds of wet weight!

In all, more than 41 acres of boat lanes were cut with all of the curlyleaf hauled to shore and taken to a DNR approved dumpsite. Once the dumped curlyleaf has dried out, at least 80 percent will be ground up and mixed in a compost for use on gardens, etc.