The ECO Harvester coming to the lake later this month is the result of some serious hustling by certain members the DLNA.  (Toot, Toot)  We are super stoked and want to ensure you know what we are trying to accomplish. 

There are three options that are realistic for the treatment of weeds in Devil's Lake. One is herbicides, the second is harvesting and third is restocking the lake with grass carp. The DLNA and the DLWID agree that grass carp is the best solution for lake in the long term.  Both are working very hard to win approval for grass carp. 

However, Carp entering this lake may initially be overwhelmed by the volume of weed.  That's why a carefully designed plan to restock the lake would likely include some use of herbicides to knock the Elodea down, then perhaps using a harvester to cut, pull and remove large volumes of weed, and let the carp eat the rest.  The hope is with this mix we can restore the balance in the lake where harvesting and herbicides are no longer required.  

So, this harvester clearing the lake of some of the weeds gives us an opportunity to quantify the cost, time and capabilities of harvesting on the lake. This is not a cure. This information will be combined with what we learn from the four applications of Floritrol in the lake this year.  All this information will be invaluable as we create a long-term plan to put us back to being a lake with just the right balance.  Tragically, that is not the lake we have today.  Together we can set it straight.