What is the benefits of harvesting over chemical kills?
Covered in detail in article below.
How often should we harvest weeds in our lake?
For optimal weed control, 2 Harvestings a year approximately 6 weeks apart.
When should I have my lake cut for best results?
When water temperature is around 70 Degrees and 2nd cutting in 6 weeks. Shallow lakes will be earlier then deeper lakes.
How does harvesting affect fishing?
Fishermen on the lakes tell us that fishing improves in areas that we have harvested.
How far will you travel from Pinckney, Michigan?
80 Miles Radius in Michigan.
When is the best time schedule lakes for cuttings?
Due to the large demand, in general for harvesting service, is best to have a contractor booked by October 31st for the coming year. HLWC operates on a year to year basis unless a customer requires a longer contract.
What is covered in the cost to have HLWC cut our lake?
Primary cost is to remove bio-mass from your lake per your instructions. Additional services of beach cleanup is available and quoted separately.
Covered in detail in article below.
How often should we harvest weeds in our lake?
For optimal weed control, 2 Harvestings a year approximately 6 weeks apart.
When should I have my lake cut for best results?
When water temperature is around 70 Degrees and 2nd cutting in 6 weeks. Shallow lakes will be earlier then deeper lakes.
How does harvesting affect fishing?
Fishermen on the lakes tell us that fishing improves in areas that we have harvested.
How far will you travel from Pinckney, Michigan?
80 Miles Radius in Michigan.
When is the best time schedule lakes for cuttings?
Due to the large demand, in general for harvesting service, is best to have a contractor booked by October 31st for the coming year. HLWC operates on a year to year basis unless a customer requires a longer contract.
What is covered in the cost to have HLWC cut our lake?
Primary cost is to remove bio-mass from your lake per your instructions. Additional services of beach cleanup is available and quoted separately.
To Understand the Problem of Excessive Aquatic
Growth, please read this article.
1. Recreational Use Impaired:
Too much vegetation can impair recreational activities such as swimming, fishing and boating.
2. Fish Control:
Excessive plant growth provides too much shelter for small fish and reduces predation. This leads to an overpopulation of
prey fish.
3. Fish Kills:
An overabundance of aquatic plants and algae can reduce the oxygen level in the water, which can contribute to fish kills. Fish
kills that are vegetation related can occur in the summer or the winter.
Aquatic Plants Produce Oxygen; then use it:
During the day, plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis. At night, they use oxygen through respiration.
If plant growth is excessive, during the summer, they can use up most of the oxygen in the water and early morning. In
fact, oxygen – stressed fish often come to the surface, gasping for air just before dawn when the oxygen levels are the
lowest.
Oxygen Depletion:
Decomposing algae and plants also contribute to oxygen depletion. When the plants die, bacteria and fungi breakdown
the decaying plant material. This process uses up oxygen in the water. Plant death and decomposition can occur in mid-
summer under natural conditions. Unfortunately, these conditions are not well understood. We do know that herbicide
treatments must be made carefully because if too much vegetation is killed at any one time, the decomposition
could lead to oxygen depletion.
Oxygen Depletion Kills Fish:
Oxygen depletion can also occur when algae or free-floating plants such as duckweed or watermeal completely cover
the water surface. These surface growths reduce the amount of light that can penetrate the water, inhibiting photosynthesis (and oxygen production) of plants in deeper waters. Anything that brings these De-oxygenated waters
to the surface (such as a strong wind) can lower oxygen levels throughout the water column can cause a fish kill. Even if
it doesn't kill the fish, prolonged exposure to low oxygen concentrations can harm fish, making them susceptible
to diseases and toxicants. Winter fish kills also occur, sometimes because decomposing plants that died in the fall
deplete the oxygen. But more often fish kills are caused by snow accumulating on the ice that blocks the sunlight and
prevents photosynthesis and oxygen production.
It Happens but You Don't Know:
People may not notice there are fish kills because dead fish can decompose and disappear under the ice. It may not be
until spring or early summer when people notice that fishing is not what it used to be. Many causes of fish kills are
not plant related including natural stresses of fish as they come out of the winter and into a spawning season and have to
deal with pesticide runoff, leaking storage tanks and diseases.
4.Odors:
Certain algae imparts tastes and odors to the water. This is an extremely important concern for the managers of municipal
and private drinking water sources.
5. Flooding:
Excessive plant growth can impede the flow of water in rivers, drainage ditches, irrigation canals, culverts, and can cause
the water to back up.
6. Debris Dump:
Excessive plant growth can trap sediment and debris, gradually filling in bodies of water. When plants die and fall to the
bottom, they accelerate this process.
7. Mosquito Haven:
Aquatic weed growth can provide a quiet water environment that is ideal for mosquito larva to develop.
8. Aesthetic Appeal of Your Property:
Excessive plant growth lessens the aesthetic appeal and lowers property values. Want to sell your lake property?? What is
the first thing that you tell your realtor?
9. Eurasian Milfoil and Starry Stonewort:
Invasive plant species such as Eurasian water milfoil, Starry Stonewort and Purple Loosestrife can completely destroy stands
of native vegetation. This can have adverse effects on animals that depend on native vegetation for habitat and food.
Eutrophication: What Be It?
What it is the eventual process of the bottom of the lake reaching the top. This is according to Dr. Wally
Fusilier renowned Limnologist long dedication to the lakes in Michigan. Biomass that is generated by the aquatic weeds
naturally dying off and regenerating themselves on a year bases. Chem-Kills accelerate the process by adding more
decaying weeds as to Mechanical Weeds Harvesting that removes the biomass.
The Problems with Chemical Weed Control
1. Chemical Treatments Banned in 12 States:
Although the use of chemicals is not banned in Michigan, for weed control, it is in 12 other states, which tells you mething.
2. 4 Week Nuisance:
Using chemical kills, the herbicides are recommended to be applied four times a year. May, June, July and August and can
take from 2 to 10 weeks to have total effect.
3. Watch Your Dog:
A swimming restriction is in effect for 24 hours after treatment and if you accidentally fall into the water, the manufacturer
recommends you take a warm shower for 10 min. to ensure any dermal contact is neutralized.
4. Algae Bloom:
Re-growth of the weeds can occur within six weeks. During that time Algae grows so multiple treatments are required.
5. Try this in August:
Do not water your lawns for five days, if you do your flowers and vegetables or newly planted plants can be jeopardized.
6. One Shot Deal:
You don't get 5 years of treatment: A permit for chemical treatments is required by the MDEQ. Limitations are; One Big
Dose every Five Years: Spot treatments are allowed the following 4 years. A Contract is required for a term of 5 years. The
initial costs are in the first application. Your cost is amortize over 5 years which locks you into not being able to go to
an alternative method during that time.
7. Killing Weeds Out of Season:
Killing off weeds in the summertime doesn't make sense. Weeds are designed to die-off in the fall when the water is
cold, not in the hot summer months. The process adds biomass back into the lake instead of removing it as in harvesting.
8. Kill the Eurasian Milfoil and the Native Weeds still Grow On:
The chemicals are designed for invasive species such Eurasian Milfoil while the native weeds still keep growing. Eurasian
Milfoil has 3 growing periods, spring, summer and fall. A very effective control is to harvest in late September when they are
building up their root system.
9. Chemicals Vary in Success Rate:
The results are not always positive and lead to bigger problems.
10. Mechanical Weed Harvesting :
Better and the results are immediate and price competitive. Sonar, the most used product for chemical kills, is $600 / gallon.
11. Here Comes The Feds:
Federal EPA, in 2011, ruled that the any chemicals and barley straw added to lake water is now considered pollution and
they will soon be involved in the permitting process. The Fed. EPA endorses Mechanical Weed Harvesting.
Just one more note.
People that sell chemicals for weed kill and contractors that apply it, usually claim that mechanical harvesting results in fragmenting weeds like "Eurasian Milfoil" which causes their growth elsewhere. Don't believe it. How about Boat Propellers? How about birds such as geese, swans and ducks? They do more spreading of weeds than anything else by eating the seeds. A harvester cuts the weeds and carries them out of the water. Boat propellers chop them up and leave them to float onto your beach.
Spring, Summer or Fall, HLWC is out there cutting them all:
The Doctor Says
Wallace E. Fusilier, Ph.D. Lake and watershed
Consulting Limnologist management studies,
9200 Dexter Chelsea Road environmental planning,
Dexter, Michigan 48130 laboratory analysis and
734 426-8972 water resource consulting.
WATER QUALITY INVESTIGATORS
CAN YOU HARVEST EURASIAN WATER MILFOIL?
According to what I learned from the following experiment, yes.
For years folks on lakes were told not to remove Eurasian water milfoil with a weed harvester because the cut fragments would settle to the bottom and infect other parts of the lake. I wanted to see how this process occurred.
So I took some water from a lake with Eurasian water milfoil and filled three 2-liter graduated cylinders. Then I took sediments from the same
lake and put them in the cylinders, where they quickly settled to the bottom. Then I took growing fragments of Eurasian water milfoil and put them in each of the cylinders. They floated. Thinking they were being held up by the surface film, I pushed them down with a glass rod. They bobbed back up. I did this several times and the same thing occurred. They floated.
Finally I thought to myself, come on Fusilier, you’re smarter than this. These plants are way too weak to support themselves in water, so in order to reach the surface where they would get maximum sunlight, they were lighter than water and floated.
Okay, now I knew they wouldn’t immediately settle to the bottom, as was often claimed, but I still needed to know if they would eventually settle to the bottom. So I set the cylinders in the window and watched. Six weeks later they finally sunk. What happened was enough of the plant died that the fragment became heavy enough to sink. At that point the fragments had sprouted roots and could indeed infect other parts of the lake.
However one thing I’ve noticed over the years of studying lakes is that lake surfaces are self-cleaning, in that wind and wave action rapidly pushes floating material to shore. And folks living on lakes are well aware of this process, given the amount of time and effort they spend cleaning up their beaches. And the milfoil fragment would be no different.
So the bottom line is if you’re going to wait a long time (5 or 6 weeks) before you clean up your beach, the milfoil might be capable of causing problems, but if you clean your beach on a regular basis (weekly, for example) the milfoil fragments should not be a problem.
And you don’t need to take my word for it, try the same thing yourself, using large glass jars (like commercial mayonnaise jars). The amount of time may be different, but you’ll find it takes some time for the milfoil to sink. The process is not immediate as is often claimed. So it is my opinion that you can harvest Eurasian water milfoil.
Wallace E. Fusilier,
Ph.D.
Consulting
limnologist
February 29,
2012
Growth, please read this article.
1. Recreational Use Impaired:
Too much vegetation can impair recreational activities such as swimming, fishing and boating.
2. Fish Control:
Excessive plant growth provides too much shelter for small fish and reduces predation. This leads to an overpopulation of
prey fish.
3. Fish Kills:
An overabundance of aquatic plants and algae can reduce the oxygen level in the water, which can contribute to fish kills. Fish
kills that are vegetation related can occur in the summer or the winter.
Aquatic Plants Produce Oxygen; then use it:
During the day, plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis. At night, they use oxygen through respiration.
If plant growth is excessive, during the summer, they can use up most of the oxygen in the water and early morning. In
fact, oxygen – stressed fish often come to the surface, gasping for air just before dawn when the oxygen levels are the
lowest.
Oxygen Depletion:
Decomposing algae and plants also contribute to oxygen depletion. When the plants die, bacteria and fungi breakdown
the decaying plant material. This process uses up oxygen in the water. Plant death and decomposition can occur in mid-
summer under natural conditions. Unfortunately, these conditions are not well understood. We do know that herbicide
treatments must be made carefully because if too much vegetation is killed at any one time, the decomposition
could lead to oxygen depletion.
Oxygen Depletion Kills Fish:
Oxygen depletion can also occur when algae or free-floating plants such as duckweed or watermeal completely cover
the water surface. These surface growths reduce the amount of light that can penetrate the water, inhibiting photosynthesis (and oxygen production) of plants in deeper waters. Anything that brings these De-oxygenated waters
to the surface (such as a strong wind) can lower oxygen levels throughout the water column can cause a fish kill. Even if
it doesn't kill the fish, prolonged exposure to low oxygen concentrations can harm fish, making them susceptible
to diseases and toxicants. Winter fish kills also occur, sometimes because decomposing plants that died in the fall
deplete the oxygen. But more often fish kills are caused by snow accumulating on the ice that blocks the sunlight and
prevents photosynthesis and oxygen production.
It Happens but You Don't Know:
People may not notice there are fish kills because dead fish can decompose and disappear under the ice. It may not be
until spring or early summer when people notice that fishing is not what it used to be. Many causes of fish kills are
not plant related including natural stresses of fish as they come out of the winter and into a spawning season and have to
deal with pesticide runoff, leaking storage tanks and diseases.
4.Odors:
Certain algae imparts tastes and odors to the water. This is an extremely important concern for the managers of municipal
and private drinking water sources.
5. Flooding:
Excessive plant growth can impede the flow of water in rivers, drainage ditches, irrigation canals, culverts, and can cause
the water to back up.
6. Debris Dump:
Excessive plant growth can trap sediment and debris, gradually filling in bodies of water. When plants die and fall to the
bottom, they accelerate this process.
7. Mosquito Haven:
Aquatic weed growth can provide a quiet water environment that is ideal for mosquito larva to develop.
8. Aesthetic Appeal of Your Property:
Excessive plant growth lessens the aesthetic appeal and lowers property values. Want to sell your lake property?? What is
the first thing that you tell your realtor?
9. Eurasian Milfoil and Starry Stonewort:
Invasive plant species such as Eurasian water milfoil, Starry Stonewort and Purple Loosestrife can completely destroy stands
of native vegetation. This can have adverse effects on animals that depend on native vegetation for habitat and food.
Eutrophication: What Be It?
What it is the eventual process of the bottom of the lake reaching the top. This is according to Dr. Wally
Fusilier renowned Limnologist long dedication to the lakes in Michigan. Biomass that is generated by the aquatic weeds
naturally dying off and regenerating themselves on a year bases. Chem-Kills accelerate the process by adding more
decaying weeds as to Mechanical Weeds Harvesting that removes the biomass.
The Problems with Chemical Weed Control
1. Chemical Treatments Banned in 12 States:
Although the use of chemicals is not banned in Michigan, for weed control, it is in 12 other states, which tells you mething.
2. 4 Week Nuisance:
Using chemical kills, the herbicides are recommended to be applied four times a year. May, June, July and August and can
take from 2 to 10 weeks to have total effect.
3. Watch Your Dog:
A swimming restriction is in effect for 24 hours after treatment and if you accidentally fall into the water, the manufacturer
recommends you take a warm shower for 10 min. to ensure any dermal contact is neutralized.
4. Algae Bloom:
Re-growth of the weeds can occur within six weeks. During that time Algae grows so multiple treatments are required.
5. Try this in August:
Do not water your lawns for five days, if you do your flowers and vegetables or newly planted plants can be jeopardized.
6. One Shot Deal:
You don't get 5 years of treatment: A permit for chemical treatments is required by the MDEQ. Limitations are; One Big
Dose every Five Years: Spot treatments are allowed the following 4 years. A Contract is required for a term of 5 years. The
initial costs are in the first application. Your cost is amortize over 5 years which locks you into not being able to go to
an alternative method during that time.
7. Killing Weeds Out of Season:
Killing off weeds in the summertime doesn't make sense. Weeds are designed to die-off in the fall when the water is
cold, not in the hot summer months. The process adds biomass back into the lake instead of removing it as in harvesting.
8. Kill the Eurasian Milfoil and the Native Weeds still Grow On:
The chemicals are designed for invasive species such Eurasian Milfoil while the native weeds still keep growing. Eurasian
Milfoil has 3 growing periods, spring, summer and fall. A very effective control is to harvest in late September when they are
building up their root system.
9. Chemicals Vary in Success Rate:
The results are not always positive and lead to bigger problems.
10. Mechanical Weed Harvesting :
Better and the results are immediate and price competitive. Sonar, the most used product for chemical kills, is $600 / gallon.
11. Here Comes The Feds:
Federal EPA, in 2011, ruled that the any chemicals and barley straw added to lake water is now considered pollution and
they will soon be involved in the permitting process. The Fed. EPA endorses Mechanical Weed Harvesting.
Just one more note.
People that sell chemicals for weed kill and contractors that apply it, usually claim that mechanical harvesting results in fragmenting weeds like "Eurasian Milfoil" which causes their growth elsewhere. Don't believe it. How about Boat Propellers? How about birds such as geese, swans and ducks? They do more spreading of weeds than anything else by eating the seeds. A harvester cuts the weeds and carries them out of the water. Boat propellers chop them up and leave them to float onto your beach.
Spring, Summer or Fall, HLWC is out there cutting them all:
The Doctor Says
Wallace E. Fusilier, Ph.D. Lake and watershed
Consulting Limnologist management studies,
9200 Dexter Chelsea Road environmental planning,
Dexter, Michigan 48130 laboratory analysis and
734 426-8972 water resource consulting.
WATER QUALITY INVESTIGATORS
CAN YOU HARVEST EURASIAN WATER MILFOIL?
According to what I learned from the following experiment, yes.
For years folks on lakes were told not to remove Eurasian water milfoil with a weed harvester because the cut fragments would settle to the bottom and infect other parts of the lake. I wanted to see how this process occurred.
So I took some water from a lake with Eurasian water milfoil and filled three 2-liter graduated cylinders. Then I took sediments from the same
lake and put them in the cylinders, where they quickly settled to the bottom. Then I took growing fragments of Eurasian water milfoil and put them in each of the cylinders. They floated. Thinking they were being held up by the surface film, I pushed them down with a glass rod. They bobbed back up. I did this several times and the same thing occurred. They floated.
Finally I thought to myself, come on Fusilier, you’re smarter than this. These plants are way too weak to support themselves in water, so in order to reach the surface where they would get maximum sunlight, they were lighter than water and floated.
Okay, now I knew they wouldn’t immediately settle to the bottom, as was often claimed, but I still needed to know if they would eventually settle to the bottom. So I set the cylinders in the window and watched. Six weeks later they finally sunk. What happened was enough of the plant died that the fragment became heavy enough to sink. At that point the fragments had sprouted roots and could indeed infect other parts of the lake.
However one thing I’ve noticed over the years of studying lakes is that lake surfaces are self-cleaning, in that wind and wave action rapidly pushes floating material to shore. And folks living on lakes are well aware of this process, given the amount of time and effort they spend cleaning up their beaches. And the milfoil fragment would be no different.
So the bottom line is if you’re going to wait a long time (5 or 6 weeks) before you clean up your beach, the milfoil might be capable of causing problems, but if you clean your beach on a regular basis (weekly, for example) the milfoil fragments should not be a problem.
And you don’t need to take my word for it, try the same thing yourself, using large glass jars (like commercial mayonnaise jars). The amount of time may be different, but you’ll find it takes some time for the milfoil to sink. The process is not immediate as is often claimed. So it is my opinion that you can harvest Eurasian water milfoil.
Wallace E. Fusilier,
Ph.D.
Consulting
limnologist
February 29,
2012