Aquatic Weed Removal (Harvesting)

Aquatic Weed Harvesting is the process of removing undesirable aquatic vegetation from various types of water bodies. While some types of Aquatic plant life can be beneficial, others can be catastrophic to the under-surface ecosystem. We have specialised equipment to make the removal of Aquatic Weeds as efficient and cost-effective as possible.

Do you have Aquatic Weeds in your dam?

If your answer is Yes, then you have come to the right place! We can fix your Aquatic Weed problems and help you save $$$ before the problem gets completely out of hand. If your thinking to yourself “It might already be out of hand”, then don’t worry… We have done plenty of those too!

Aquatic weeds become a problem when they:

• Blanket the entire water surface, causing oxygen depletion. This can result in the death of fish, turtles and other aquatic life.

• Compete with native species and reduce biodiversity.

• Impact on the aquatic habitat of bird species and cause them to relocate. I have seen this first hand on numerous occasions. It is quite common to see bird life return upon the completion of aquatic weed harvesting.

• Interfere with commercial and recreational activities.

• Cause blockages or impede water intake to pumping equipment.

• Contaminate and taint drinking water supplies.

• Cause pungent odours.

• Impede the access of stock to water.

• Increase transpiration rates.

What are the benefits of Aquatic Weed Harvesting?

Apart from the obvious aesthetic advantages, there are many other advantages of harvesting, including;

• Biomass is removed from the water and along with it the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that are bound up in the vegetation.

• Harvesting vegetation from the lake greatly reduces the tons of biomass that will eventually die and collapse at the end of the season. This biomass will decompose, consume oxygen, and release nutrients back into the water column to grow more weeds and algae in the future.

• Immediate relief from nuisance plants that interfere with navigation and recreation
• Immediate use of the water for swimming or irrigation

ABOUT OUR HARVESTERS

We have a small fleet of Aquatic Weed Harvesters suited to both small and large waterbodies. Equipped with a front end loader and a side mounted cutting boom, our harvesters can remove all types of floating, submerged and emerged aquatic weeds.

These harvesters are shallow drapht and can operate in approx. knee-height water depth or more.

Twin propulsion provides precision weed removal making it easy to leave desirable plant life such as lily pads, sedges, etc.

Our Harvester’s compliment other lake management strategies. It is impossible to remove 100% of any free floating weed with the harvester alone. We usually achieve a removal rate of approximately 95% or more, however this is site specific and on rare occasions this cannot be achieved. Shallow areas, large tree branches, and overgrown/unmanicured edges are some of the factors that can affect this. Because of this, it is recommended that a follow up treatment using a small amount of “Aquatic Registered” herbicide around the edges is completed after the initial harvest. This will ensure a good result. (Sometimes, may require a couple of treatments or so depending on the species of weed present).

If you would prefer not to use herbicides as a follow up measure, we can implement other manual tools such as a weed net, backpack blower, etc to retrieve as much of the infestation as possible. I do however reiterate that without the use of herbicides as a follow up measure, it is very hard to remove the infestation completely.

THE PROCESS

1. Call 0423 760 894 or click here to book your free estimation and get the process started.
2. If you click the link above rather than call, you have the opportunity to insert details and forward any photos you may have of your dam/infestation area.
3. One of our experts will call you back to discuss. In most cases an estimation can be done on the phone. If you are local, we will usually visit the site in person. This is where we will ask if you are interested in using “herbicides” as a follow up measure. Please let us know if you would prefer not to use them and we can attempt to work out another solution. We will also want to know whether you plan on leaving the removed waste (aquatic weeds) left piled neatly around the edges where they will decompose over time (cheapest method) or, if you would prefer the weeds dumped elsewhere on site. We can also take them to green waste at your local council land fill if needed.
4. Once you are happy with your estimation, you will then be sent an official quotation and your Dam Clean will be scheduled in.
5. Dam Clean/Harvesting is then carried out.
6. Follow up measures (Herbicide spray) to ensure good result (Customers who choose this option)
7. Another herbicide spray is recommended.
8. Monitor the dam – It is recommended that you monitor the dam to ensure no new growth is present (especially in the hotter months).
9. Enjoy your new, beautifully clean dam.

Please make sure you check out “Our Work” Page to check out some of the amazing transformation our team has completed. We also offer a variety of other services to help get your dam looking amazing – view them here!