Top 3 Mechanical Solutions Articles for Lake & Pond Restoration
Proactive management is the key to maintaining the health of your lake or pond, but this beauty and balance can only be prolonged for so long. Each and every waterbody in the world is susceptible to the accumulation of muck, plant material, and detritus over time. Eventually, this organic matter will diminish depth and volume and degrade the overall health of the aquatic ecosystem until a complete reset is necessary via costly and invasive dredging.
Luckily, there are several long-lasting strategies to physically restore your waterbody before it’s too late. Check out some of our most popular articles on these mechanical solutions.
- Hydro-raking
- Dredging
- Mechanical Harvesting
#1 Remove Nuisance Accumulated Sediment with Hydro-raking
Like harvesting, mechanical hydro-rakes are capable of removing floating aquatic plants, and can do so without negatively impacting the shoreline – but they go well beyond that to target deep-rooted plant species that typically aren’t visible on the surface. Likewise, hydro-rakes are excellent tools to physically remove hundreds of pounds of bottom muck and detritus in a single scoop. In fact, several feet of depth can be restored in a single hydro-raking session.
#2 Which Dredging or Sediment Removal Option Is Best for My Waterbody?
As waterbodies age and becomes “silted-in,” organic nutrients fuel invasive plant and algae growth, and property owners suffer the consequences of bright green water, fish kills, and dangerous swimming conditions. Fortunately, there are several methods to remove nutrient-rich sediment and reset your waterbody. Determining which dredging solution is the right fit for your waterbody depends on a number of factors, including sediment composition, environmental sensitivity, the column of materials removed, budget, and disposal considerations.
#3 Mechanical Harvesting: A Proven Solution for Managing Aquatic Plant Infestations
One of the biggest contributors to the build-up of organic matter is nuisance plant growth and decomposition. Though native plants play an important role in the food web, excessive growth – particularly the growth of invasive plants – poses a significant threat to the longevity of the waterbody. Mechanical harvesting is a useful intervention tool to remove floating aquatic plants without negatively impacting the shoreline or water quality conditions. It’s also a fantastic alternative to herbicide applications.
Implement Proactive Solutions
These mechanical solutions are important tools that can benefit waterbodies of all kinds, but they should not be used as the first line of defense against poor lake and pond conditions. Sustainable strategies like buffer management, fountains and aeration, Oxygen Saturation Technology, biological bacteria applications, nutrient remediation, and other eco-friendly management approaches will help support your aquatic ecosystem for lasting use and enjoyment in your community for years to come!
Restore Your Waterbody With Hydro-raking
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SOLitude Lake Management is a nationwide environmental firm committed to providing sustainable solutions that improve water quality, enhance beauty, preserve natural resources and reduce our environmental footprint. SOLitude’s team of aquatic resource management professionals specializes in the development and execution of customized lake, pond, wetland, and fisheries management programs that include water quality testing and restoration, nutrient remediation, algae, and aquatic weed control, installation and maintenance of fountains and aeration systems, bathymetry, shoreline erosion restoration, mechanical harvesting and hydro-raking, lake vegetation studies, biological assessments, habitat evaluations, and invasive species management. Services and educational resources are available to clients nationwide, including homeowners associations, multi-family and apartment communities, golf courses, commercial developments, ranches, private landowners, reservoirs, recreational and public lakes, municipalities, drinking water authorities, parks, and state and federal agencies. SOLitude Lake Management is a proud member of the Rentokil Steritech family of companies in North America.