waterway restoration – Aquarius-Systems

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.

Wisconsin DNR Works to Restore Wild Rice Habitat on Spur Lake

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 20:08:27 +0000

Pete McGeshick II, 80, a Sokaogon Chippewa tribal member and former Rice Chief, recalls when he and Sokaogon Chippewa tribal members used to harvest wild rice on Spur Lake. The wild rice is all but gone, but DNR ecologists are working to clear Twin Lakes Creek, hoping to revive wild rice on Spur Lake.

The last several decades have been unkind to wild rice in Wisconsin.

The resource has deep cultural roots in the state, especially for Ojibwe tribal members. But it has been disappearing on lakes and rivers.

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission estimates about half of the wild rice that once grew in Wisconsin is now gone. Five or six percent disappeared in the last decade.

Now, the Wisconsin DNR and a group of partners are trying to bring back what was lost on Spur Lake.

DC Water Launches Two New Trash Hunter Boats to Clean the Anacostia River

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 20:16:22 +0000

Two new Trash Hunters launched by DC Water this week will help scoop up floating trash and debris from the Anacostia River, making the waterways cleaner and more enjoyable.

These boats a big investment by DC Water to reclaim our rivers. They will literally be pulling tons of trash out of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers as we continue to improve the health of each river while reacquainting our community with how beautiful – and important – these waterways are.

DC Water pioneered the skimmer boat cleaning process back in 1992. The program has been an enormous success, with 300-500 tons of trash removed from the waterways of the District of Columbia every year.