Site Description:
Location: Erie, CO
In 2019, SOLitude Lake Management was awarded the contract for a one-time treatment for a Colorado city’s 30-surface-acre backup drinking water reservoir. The reservoir contacted SOLitude Lake Management with concerns of overabundant aquatic vegetation growth. After the initial site visit, the plant causing concerns within the resource was identified as Milfoil. The client was mainly concerned with their pumps being clogged with invasive vegetation and limited fishing access for the public.
Scope of Work:
Management by a previous company included the use of two floating mechanical mixers and nutrient binding. When SOLitude first visited the site, the Milfoil was limited to an estimated 4-6-foot ring around the edge of the resource. In previous years, vegetation has covered an estimated 80% of the lake. The initial site visit was completed in July and the treatment was scheduled for August. At the time of the treatment, Milfoil had increased to an estimated 8-foot ring around the edge with denser vegetation growth and additional growth in the middle of the resource covering an estimated 30% of the reservoir.
Project Description:
A highly selective herbicide was chosen for Milfoil control. On August 13, the herbicide was applied using a low-volume tank sprayer. The site was visited in late August to monitor the treatment success and the vegetation was no longer rooted within the pond. The limited Milfoil still present was blown up against the shoreline and visibly breaking down. In the middle of the reservoir, the stands were gone and the remaining vegetation was covering less than 5 percent of the resource. Fishing access within the resource was restored and the vegetation is no longer a concern of clogging pumps.
- Milfoil Control
- Invasive Aquatic Weed Management
