Most waterbody owners and managers are familiar with seeing a service truck topped with a Jon boat. These lightweight, maneuverable boats allow aquatic experts to efficiently complete routine tasks such as fountain service, aquatic weed and algae control, bathymetric mapping, and general inspections. However, when management needs extend beyond the basics, so must the equipment used to tackle them.
Specialized Tools for Complex Lake Management
Below are some of the specialized tools and vessels we use to manage complex projects across a range of unique conditions and environments:
Mechanical Hydro-Rakes
Purpose: Physical removal of rooted aquatic weeds, nutrient-rich muck, and debris; helps restore depth and prolongs the need for dredging.
Features: Comparable to a barge equipped with a backhoe. Each scoop removes up to 500 pounds of debris and deposits it onshore for disposal. Operates in water as shallow as one foot and can restore depths up to 10 feet.
Dredges
Purpose: Large-scale removal of accumulated sediment to restore the waterbody’s original depth and volume; completely resets the aquatic ecosystem.
Features: Mechanical dredges use buckets to excavate and transfer sediment to barges or trucks for disposal. Hydraulic dredges use a rotating cutter and pumps to move sediment as a slurry through a floating pipeline.
Mechanical Harvesters
Purpose: Selective, large-scale removal of floating vegetation; creates open-water channels and restores waterbody access.
Features: A floating craft that physically cuts vegetation. Plant matter is transported on board with a conveyor belt and later offloaded for disposal.
Electrofishing Vessels
Purpose: Fish species and population assessments; supports trophy fisheries management.
Features: Specialized vessels with onboard generators that produce a low-voltage electric current in the water. Fish are temporarily stunned, collected with dip nets, and held in tanks on board for assessment before being safely released back into the water.
Alum Barge
Purpose: Large-scale aluminum sulfate applications; supports water quality restoration.
Features: Custom barge outfitted with a fathometer, GPS-based speed tracking, in-line pressure gauges, and flowmeters to monitor and control application rates in real time, ensuring uniform coverage.
Amphibious Vehicles
Purpose: Navigating soft-bottom, marshy, and overgrown areas.
Features: Also known as a Marsh Master or Mobitrac. Vehicles designed to operate on both land and water, allowing for continuous work across shifting environments. They are used for herbicide applications, as well as mowing and cutting wetland vegetation.
Airboats
Purpose: Navigating shallow and densely covered waterbodies.
Features: Flat-bottom vessel powered by an elevated propeller system, allowing movement over dense vegetation and extremely shallow water to reach areas inaccessible to conventional boats.
Drones / Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
Purpose: Mapping and surveillance; supports highly targeted applications in ecologically sensitive and hard-to-reach areas.
Features: Our commercial drones feature a 6-foot wingspan, GIS-programmed routes, and extended flight range, allowing them to transport approximately 35 pounds of product. Capable of treating up to 200 acres per day.
Choosing the Right Tool for the Job
Every lake and pond project is different, and success often depends on having the right tools for the job. With a full fleet of specialized vessels, professionals can match the right equipment to the task and tailor their approach to each site, allowing work to be conducted as safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible.
How to Achieve Clean, Healthy Ponds
SOLitude Lake Management is a nationwide environmental firm committed to providing sustainable solutions that improve water quality, enhance beauty and preserve natural resources.
SOLitude’s team of aquatic scientists specializes in the development and execution of customized lake, stormwater pond, wetland and fisheries management programs. Services include water quality testing and restoration, algae and aquatic weed control, installation and maintenance of fountains and aeration systems, shoreline erosion control, muck and sediment removal and invasive species management. SOLitude partners with homeowners associations, golf courses, private landowners, businesses and municipalities. SOLitude Lake Management is part of Rentokil, a leading business services company, operating across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
For more information, visit SOLitude Lake Management at solitudelakemanagement.com, and connect on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
