Harvesting VS Chemicals
Opinion by Bill
Tupper
Huron Lakes Weed Control
Increasing Demand: There is a shortage of weed harvesting companies and the demand is increasing more and more every year as lake associations are realizing that this chemical killing of natural biomass is destroying the lakes. Instead of removing biomass from the lakes chemicals are contributing more of it into the lakes every year as opposed to mechanical weed harvesting that is taking that biomass out the lakes. It is not unusual for us to go into a lake and take out over 1,000,000 pounds of biomass in two harvestings. That would represent approximately 15,000 lbs. of pure N (nitrogen) and 1,600 lbs. of pure P (phosphorous)!
Chemicals Vs Harvesting:
Huron Lakes Weed Control
Increasing Demand: There is a shortage of weed harvesting companies and the demand is increasing more and more every year as lake associations are realizing that this chemical killing of natural biomass is destroying the lakes. Instead of removing biomass from the lakes chemicals are contributing more of it into the lakes every year as opposed to mechanical weed harvesting that is taking that biomass out the lakes. It is not unusual for us to go into a lake and take out over 1,000,000 pounds of biomass in two harvestings. That would represent approximately 15,000 lbs. of pure N (nitrogen) and 1,600 lbs. of pure P (phosphorous)!
Chemicals Vs Harvesting:
Eurasian Milfoil (top)
Starry Stonewort (bottom)
Chemicals Failing to do the Job: I have had many owners tell me that "the chemical process seems to work for two years and then the more native weeds and Starry Stonewort come on strong because of the removal of the Eurasian milfoil and Curly Leaf Pondweed". Chemical companies are now having to to hire harvesting companies to harvest the native plants and especially Starry Stonewort because they began growing when the Eurasian Milfoil and Curly Leaf Pondweed are killed off.
Starry Stonewort looks like a rooted plant but it is actually an algae feeding off decaying bio-mass on or muck on bottom caused by the use of chemicals. Starry Stonewort grows so quickly chokes out eurasian milfoil and everything else. Though it responds to chemical treatment, Starry Stonewort grows so thick, the chemicals only “burn” the weeds on top. Some herbicide applicators refer to this as a “haircut treatment,” meaning they can’t get it all, just the upper portion of the mass of Starry Stonewort.
Starry Stonewort looks like a rooted plant but it is actually an algae feeding off decaying bio-mass on or muck on bottom caused by the use of chemicals. Starry Stonewort grows so quickly chokes out eurasian milfoil and everything else. Though it responds to chemical treatment, Starry Stonewort grows so thick, the chemicals only “burn” the weeds on top. Some herbicide applicators refer to this as a “haircut treatment,” meaning they can’t get it all, just the upper portion of the mass of Starry Stonewort.
The Process: Chemical treating starts out with an expensive lake survey noting where the weeds are located and what kind they are. A marine biologist is required to present chart diagrams and data showing exactly where to go to treat each area of the lake. They have to figure a variety of chemicals in order to kill off the invasive weeds and save the native weeds. Their perpetual problem in Michigan and similar climatic zones is Curly Leaf Pondweed and Eurasian Milfoil. The chemical contractors’ programs require a five year contract that commits the lake owners to monetarily supporting the project for that length of time. The reason for this is, the MDEQ only allows one heavy dose of chemicals every five years of which most all of the cost is in the 1st year when heavy dosing of the lake takes place. They amortize this cost over a five-year period. They can come in and chemically spot treat in small amounts, 4 times during a season in the areas where the Eurasian Milfoil and Curly Leaf Pondweed have spread.
Harvesters in Demand: I know that there is a definite demand for more mechanical weed harvesting of aquatic weeds in the inland lakes of Michigan. Many lakes that have been using herbicides are now paying the price for their continued use year after year killing off of aquatic weeds with chemicals. The amount of biomass that process is put back into these lakes, on an untimely basis, has led to weed growth of gigantic proportions. Untimely means, in that it doesn't make sense to kill off vegetation that normally dies on its own when the water is cold and decaying process is controlled to the extent that algae blooms are not a problem.
Cost of Chemicals are Up: The cost of chemicals used today has risen to a point that mechanical weed harvesting is now competitive especially when you consider the extent of services that harvesting companies provide. The main difference between the two operations is that mechanical weed harvesting requires a considerable investment in equipment in order to make it profitable. In order to build a business that can turn a profit in a season of about five months; has to be large enough to do a number of lakes during that time period.
Chemical Contractors Leave Customers in the Dark: The customer of a chemical contractor has no way of confirming what they are doing on the lake. They have no way of confirming that the dosage is proper and applied correctly because the Contractor has no reporting method but Huron Lakes Weed Control operates differently. We supply our customer with daily printouts of exactly where the harvesters have been in the amount of weeds that we have extracted on that particular day. They can even watch us on their computers as we are performing our duties in their lake. They can be watching what each harvester is doing and even what lake address the machine is located through a process provided by a company called Fleetmatics.
Super-Nav: To even go one step better, HLWC has installed the Trimble GPS Guidance System that is used by the farming industry to cut and plant perfect crop rows. All 3 of our harvesters have this equipment installed and can stay on course within 6 inches to cut the weeds with great precision.
Harvesters in Demand: I know that there is a definite demand for more mechanical weed harvesting of aquatic weeds in the inland lakes of Michigan. Many lakes that have been using herbicides are now paying the price for their continued use year after year killing off of aquatic weeds with chemicals. The amount of biomass that process is put back into these lakes, on an untimely basis, has led to weed growth of gigantic proportions. Untimely means, in that it doesn't make sense to kill off vegetation that normally dies on its own when the water is cold and decaying process is controlled to the extent that algae blooms are not a problem.
Cost of Chemicals are Up: The cost of chemicals used today has risen to a point that mechanical weed harvesting is now competitive especially when you consider the extent of services that harvesting companies provide. The main difference between the two operations is that mechanical weed harvesting requires a considerable investment in equipment in order to make it profitable. In order to build a business that can turn a profit in a season of about five months; has to be large enough to do a number of lakes during that time period.
Chemical Contractors Leave Customers in the Dark: The customer of a chemical contractor has no way of confirming what they are doing on the lake. They have no way of confirming that the dosage is proper and applied correctly because the Contractor has no reporting method but Huron Lakes Weed Control operates differently. We supply our customer with daily printouts of exactly where the harvesters have been in the amount of weeds that we have extracted on that particular day. They can even watch us on their computers as we are performing our duties in their lake. They can be watching what each harvester is doing and even what lake address the machine is located through a process provided by a company called Fleetmatics.
Super-Nav: To even go one step better, HLWC has installed the Trimble GPS Guidance System that is used by the farming industry to cut and plant perfect crop rows. All 3 of our harvesters have this equipment installed and can stay on course within 6 inches to cut the weeds with great precision.
Eurasian Milfoil: Chemical contractors love to tell you that harvesting Eurasian Milfoil (download from Michigan lake info) will ("Fragment the Plant and these fragments will generate new plants"). First of all, just think about it! What does a boat propeller due to these plants? Secondly, Dr. Wally Fusilier (Limnologist) who has more water quality reports than the rest of his piers combined, says that this is not practical. It takes 6 weeks for the this plant fragments to sink to the bottom and start growing. Yes, they will grow but only if they stay afloat on the lake for 6 weeks and then sink to the bottom in shallow water. Weed growth in water is directly proportional to the amount of nutrients deposited in the lake system. We have been depositing surplus nutrients into our lakes for more than 100 years. It will take a some time to reverse the clock, but it is worth it. The only way to get the excess nutrient out of the lakes again is by harvesting. The plants are a natural reaction of the lake to indicate nutrient overloads. The plants are therefore the best and only carrier for restoration of the lakes.
Eurasian Milfoil Research: The University of Wisconsin did an extensive study on Eurasian Milfoil by harvesting this plant in a controlled area for four years and the results were that the plant was overcome by the harvesting and cease to exist after four years. Even at the first cutting of this plant's cut stem branched into four sprouts and then proceeded to grow which slows down the growth process because now the plant is trying to produce four separate plant stems from the main stem. Eurasian milfoil has 3 growing periods in one season, Spring, Summer and Fall. Their research showed the plant was cut in the fall, it would substantially stunt the plant so that it could hardly grow the next season. HLWC would do this fall cutting on a contract basis if the contract was for more than one year. Obviously we would have extra time and money in the process, but it would be beneficial for the following year.
Milfoil
Chemical Kills is a Catch 22 Situation: These two weeds, Milfoil & Pondweed will take over large areas of the lakes and shield sunrays from penetrating down to where the native weeds are located. These weeds can grow to such mass and when they are killed off quickly and in their decaying cycle makes a process that robs the water of dissolved oxygen. This sudden oxygen depletion in turn kills off the small fish, often noted as “fish-kill”. HLWC was on one lake that conducted a study that found the youngest fish in their lake was seven years old. The results of their initial heavy dose in the lake worked for the first 2 years where it killed off much of the two invasive weeds. But then, the owners noted they had a crop of brand-new weeds that were growing like crazy because they now have sunlight and they had all of the nutrients they need from the previous year’s decaying bio-mass.
But Wait There is More: Then out of all this parade of problems comes a new weed called Starry Stonewort, that sounds and looks like it's from outer space, is a weed that is an algae plant. It lives on the nutrients that are suspended in the water from the decaying bio-matter. It does not have any roots but it does attach its self to the lake bottom in its early life. It grows into large floating bogs that meshed together like steel wool. This weed, when you squeeze it, actually makes a cracking sound. This is because its skin is lined with Calcium. It forms into bogs that can be as much as 6 feet deep. These weed are packed so tightly together that they actually trap methane gas and become floating bogs where birds can actually roost upon them. Just to add to the problem, chemicals will not kill them off. The chemicals only affect about 4 inches of the surface which turns it to yellow in color. This again makes them look like large boulders when they mound up from the trapped gas. This plant is a menace to the lakes inasmuch as it destroys all fish habitat and is dangerous if you would happen to fall into a bog due to its ability to entangle your legs and arms. FYI. Dr Wally Fusilier wrote about this weed a year before Dr. Doug Pullman made claim to discovering it.
Stonewort Hard to Harvest: Yes, it is but HLWC can do it. Standard mechanical weed harvesters can extract this weed to a certain extent as long as there is enough resistance in the mass of the bog so that it shoves itself onto the conveyor on the harvester. Huron Lakes Weed Control Harvesters have an advantage over other harvesters in that we have 2 machines that are designed specifically to pick up Starry Stonewort. We have routinely picked up over 250,000 pounds of this weed in just two days from a 27 acre lake. HLWC could do the whole job without the use of chemicals and we don't need any 5 year contract. Year to year is fine with us. You just have to let us know by Dec. 15th of the prior year that you intend to renew your contract. We could offer a program by harvesting first and then, if needed, go to a chemical contractor and have them spot treat areas. Less chemicals and we are removing tons of biomass out of the water. Harvesting has a tremendous advantage over chemical treatment, because one can be very selective as to where and when to harvest. The aquatic plants can be left to grow in selected areas, where, for example it is beneficial to fishing.