Michigan Lake Launches Aggressive Eurasian Watermilfoil Reduction Project
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10593599.htm
Pickerel Lake Pavilion Township, MI (PRWEB) April 17, 2013
Pickerel Lake, a 140-acre lake in southwest Michigan, is launching an aggressive assault on invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil using a cutting edge all-natural approach proving to be “a game changer” in the fight against weed-choked lakes – Laminar Flow Lake Bottom Aeration and Biological Augmentation.
How Bad Is the Lake?
According to 50-year lake resident Marv Thomas, Pickerel Lake is in bad shape. “Last year was the worst yet. It was a no man’s land. The lake was unusable for any boating purposes.” A 2012 Pickerel Lake water quality report revealed that 90% of the lake was covered with milfoil. The explosive growth of the weed was being fueled by 10 feet of decaying organic muck coating the bottom of the lake.
When asked what other options they considered, Thomas replied “we looked at chemical herbicides, milfoil weevils, and dredging. We polled lake residents. No one wanted chemicals in our water. And with chemicals weeds just become tolerant and new weeds continue to grow. We wanted a permanent solution, not just send dead weeds to the bottom of the lake. Dredging was out of the question because of cost. And when we looked at other lakes where weevils were used, they too appeared to be a losing battle.”
Why Laminar Flow Lake Bottom Aeration and Biological Augmentation?
The 2012 water quality analysis conducted by Restorative Lake Sciences LLC found that the excessive milfoil growth was a result of nutrients being released from “significant organic sediment at the lake bottom”. The report recommended that “any solution that does not address organic sediment accumulation is putting the lake at further risk”.
Thomas explained that after reading the report, “reducing the nutrients in the lake is what sold us on laminar flow Lake Bottom Aeration and biological augmentation. Getting rid of the lake-bottom muck was a big selling point on the whole program.”
According to John Tucci, president of Lake Savers LLC, the company chosen by Pickerel Lake to implement the Milfoil reduction program, “We take lakes through a four step process. We revive the lake with Laminar Flow Lake Bottom Aeration which restores dissolved oxygen to the bottom of the lake. We accelerate nutrient reduction by boosting levels of muck-eating aerobic bacteria. We protect the lake with lake-coral which filters incoming nutrients. We sustain long-term lake health with continuous results monitoring, system maintenance, and technological adjustment. We sustain the community’s restoration project with continuous reporting, education, and financing.”
Scientifically Proven
Explaining why Pickerel Lake chose Lake Savers, Thomas said “we looked at other lakes that Lake Savers had done”. The results are impressive. Independent scientific analyses of four Michigan lakes conducted in 2011 and 2012 produced irrefutable quantitative data that Lake Savers’ integrated approach dramatically reduces organic sediment, phosphorous, invasive weed growth and algal blooms on large lakes.
On Indian Lake there was a 2 foot reduction in organic sediment, a 35% reduction in Eurasian Watermilfoil, a significant reduction in blue-green algae, and a 2 foot increase in water clarity over two summers. On Austin Lake after only 3 months of operation there was a 63% reduction in Milfoil and a 9 inch reduction in organic sediment. On Keeler Lake there was a 48% reduction in Curly Leaf Pondweed, Milfoil, and a significant reduction in sediment phosphorous after only one year. On Paradise Lake Eurasian Watermilfoil was reduced approximately 40% in only 3 months, and 2012 was the first season with no dense canopy of Milfoil covering the surface of the 400 acre West Bay. These studies were the most comprehensive analyses ever conducted of laminar flow inversion and biological augmentation.
Thomas related: “We looked at another aeration company too, but while this company had done some aeration, they were more interested in doing chemicals. They were also more expensive than Lake Savers and they never gave us a hard price on exactly how much it would cost.”
About Lake Savers
Lake Savers LLC is a world leader in all-natural lake restoration. Confirmed by independent research, Lake Savers’ Four Step restoration process of Revive, Repair, Protect and Sustain, reverses the trend of nutrient pollution overloading resulting in rapid weed, algae and organic sediment reduction. To learn more about Lake Savers’ proprietary process and affordable lake restoration visit their website – https://lake-savers.com.
