Has your lake become choked with dangerous, smelly, invasive plants?
Have you tried the “chemical route” and over the long haul have found that you’re not winning the battle with these aggressive plants? Additionally, after years of chemical applications, are you left with layer after layer of muck?
As lake owners, we too were seeing thick stands of invasive plants and muck that were dangerously close to our swimming and boat launch areas. Fortunately for us, we were introduced to Dr. Jennifer L. Jermalowicz-Jones and Restorative Lake Sciences (RLS) in 2013. We also contacted the Higgins Lake Foundation and found a great mentoring group there to help us on our Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) journey. In addition, help was found with the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association (MLSA) and other association members attending their informative, yearly conferences. As were others, we were searching for an affordable, reliable and safe method for (AIS) plant containment and removal.
In 2018, we also met a local diver with twenty plus years of commercial diving experience with the Detroit Police Department. Mike Smith and MTT DASH Divers is now an integral part of our Duxnaro Boat Builders solution. In addition to our own lake’s successes with this hand harvesting method, Mike’s company has gained many concerned advocates and clients including state agencies and regional associations by building awareness of our customized boats for the safe removal of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS).
Please contact us to discuss your lake’s aquatic invasive species (AIS) needs while taking a positive stand for a healthy alternative to chemical applications.
Since 2018, Duxnaro Boat Builders, LLC has been building quality, customized Diver Assisted Hand Harvesting Boats for the safe and effective removal of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS).
We’ve built a variety of boats that are in use around the Midwest. Detailed below is a small selection of the kinds of things we can do for you.
This popular boat is built with a single engine and diver crew of two. With this economical and time-saving unit, both crew members are certified divers and/or the top sider, handling the bagging and maintenance duties.
Work Craft
Higgins Lake, MI, DNR Boat Launch
Recently, with modifications and improvements, we furnished a New Jersey Lake Association with a brand-new design that doubles the dive teams and top-side crews. This brand-new design performed expertly for their 500-acre private lake. In two and a half months, their dive crews cleared the Eurasian Watermilfoil over a 350-acre section of the lake.
As a side note: this group’s enthusiastic efforts kept a chemical application from being used. The chemical company arrived after the hand-harvesting had been completed. After a thorough check, they could not find any EWM remaining in the lake!
Green Pond Dual Station Boats
These kinds of successful harvesting results are quite normal for our satisfied customers. The reason for the successes is that the entire invasive plant, including the roots, are safely removed by hand. This removal leaves open acres with the remaining untouched native aquatic plants and gives them the opportunity to re-establish themselves in these lake bottom ecosystems, promoting the overall health of the lake.
Native plants, such as those from the genus Chara, are a great, native groundcover that can deter invasive plants from re-establishing themselves in your lake. Unfortunately, as is the case with many chemical applications, you not only kill the targeted, invasive aquatic plants, but, the native plants as well.
A motorized third boat design, the Skimmer, is used by lake owners and associations for safe removal of floating invasive plants, those created with boat chop and drying invasive plants at the shoreline.
Skimmer Boat on Trailer (2018)
Another Work craft is a 4th boat design that is used to haul bags of AIS back to shore to be disposed of. Note: Eurasian Watermilfoil is an invasive plant that can be reused when dried and worked into gardens and farmer’s fields. Away from the water, this plant can become a useful, nutritional resource.
Harvested Eurasian Watermilfoil
An example of the many uses for the Work boat include a motorized unit purchased in 2020 for a Benthic Barrier program. As with the previous boat, this Duxnaro Boat Builders motorized unit helps in a unique way to save time and resources.
Motorized Work Boat: Easy to haul, easy to load up