Wisconsin lake management – Aquarius-Systems

Apple River District Removes Millions of Pounds of Curly-Leaf Pondweed

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:20:55 +0000

The strategy of the Apple River Protection and Rehabilitation District was to remove as much of the curly leaf pondweed as possible early, then systematically move up and down the Flowage keeping the main navigation channel clear plus providing access channels to the resident along the shoreline whenever practical.

Operating under the strict rules of a permit authorized by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources the harvester begin cutting on May 28th and operations ceased on August 29th. During this time the aquatic plant harvester collected 566 loads of weeds, measuring approximately 155,650 cubic feet in volume, and weighing about 2,535,680 pounds.

Due to its high nutrient content, the harvested weeds make excellent fertilizer and are put to good use by local growers and organic farmers in the area.

Dane County Plan Uses Harvesting to Manage Lake Weeds

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 19:29:53 +0000

Controlling nuisance plants in Dane County lakes is a key element in an updated plan being worked on by county officials.

The Land and Water Resources Department tries to balance a reasonable use of the lakes through boating, fishing and swimming, while preserving the health and balance of the lake ecosystem.

The use of mechanical equipment to harvest lake weeds is part of the plan. The plan needs to be updated every five years to satisfy requirements set down by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Each waterbody has a harvesting priority map that indicates potential cutting locations, as allowed by a DNR permit. Timing of harvest is determined by plant growth and a Dane County staff member who scouts out the potential, current cutting locations and anticipates future locations.