Why Hydro-raking Is Becoming a Popular Lake Management Tool
Have you received complaints about bottom sludge or bad odors coming from your waterbody? Is your view of the water obstructed by dense nuisance vegetation? Is flooding becoming more common during rainstorms? These are telltale signs of an “aging” aquatic ecosystem. To preserve your property’s beauty, safety, and value, it’s crucial to prevent these issues from escalating further.
What is a hydro-rake?
Mechanical hydro-raking is gaining renewed popularity in restoring aging waterbodies thanks to its cost-effectiveness and minimal environmental impact. A hydro-rake is a floating backhoe with a hydraulic arm that physically removes accumulated muck, debris, and vegetation from the bottom of a waterbody. The materials are then transported off-site for disposal or composting.
How does lake muck develop at the bottom?
It’s normal for lakes and ponds to fill with sediment, dead plant matter, and other organic debris. Over time, these nutrient-rich materials will decompose and accumulate as bottom muck, creating a fertile environment for nuisance weeds and algae. As aquatic weeds and algae die at the end of each season, they form additional muck, creating a cycle of water quality and muck issues. In natural aquatic ecosystems, this process continues over hundreds of years until the ecosystem’s health declines and the waterbody fills in completely.
Unfortunately, human influence is accelerating this aging process in developed areas. Ponds that are regularly inundated with lawn and garden fertilizers, grass clippings, construction and agricultural runoff, trash, animal waste, and other nutrient-rich pollutants can fill in within a few decades if left unmanaged.
Hydro-raking bottom lake muck
With the ability to carry up to 500 pounds in each scoop, the hydro-rake can remove significant amounts of muck and debris in a short time. Depending on the material being removed and where the material deposit area is located, one acre can be restored within a week or less. This makes it an excellent alternative to delay the need for dredging—a costly process that restores a waterbody to its original depth and volume. Extending your waterbody’s lifespan through proactive hydro-raking allots more time for lake and pond owners and managers to budget for a large-scale restoration project.
Hydro-raking aquatic vegetation
Another advantage of hydro-raking is its ability to selectively target rooted vegetation like cattails and invasive phragmites, without removing desirable plants and fish populations. The hydro-rake can also dig out buried root systems, seeds, rhizomes, and tubers to help prevent the plants from regenerating. However, it is important to note that hydro-raking is not suitable for plants that spread through fragmentation. Plants like milfoil and water chestnut may break apart, leading to further spread.
Is the hydro-rake the right tool for your lake?
A notable feature of a hydro-rake is its versatility. The hydro-rake is operated directly from the water and propelled by paddle wheels, allowing it to access areas as shallow as 18 inches to as deep as 10 feet. Property owners and managers can rest assured that their shorelines and beautiful waterfront properties should not be impacted during the process.
Whether you need to clear a specific part of a lake for swimming or address muck build-up near stormwater pond equipment, hydro-raking can help you do so with safety and precision.
Watch the Hydro-rake In Action
Contact Us to Explore Hydro-raking
Call us at 888-480-5253 or complete the form below to connect with an aquatic management expert.
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, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
