A GUIDE TO HARVESTING
MORSES POND IN 2005:
PILOT PROGRAM TO CONTROL WEEDS IN AN
AREA SUITABLE TO AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT AND MANPOWER
Program outline
Record keeping
Map of pond areas
Plant identification
Plant Harvesting in Morses Pond: 2005
Approach:
·
Maintenance of
open water in Area 4, the eastern cove, an area of approximately 9.4 acres.
This area has top priority, as it should be manageable with the equipment and
manpower available, while a larger area will strain that capacity and result in
less acceptable conditions overall.
·
Harvesting in
other areas as time permits, with a focus on surface growths such as waterlilies and milfoil or fanwort that has reached the
surface.
·
This program will
demonstrate the ability to control rooted plants and create desired conditions
in an area appropriate to harvesting capacity. If successful, the program could
expanded through additional equipment and manpower.
Target areas:
·
Area 4, the
eastern cove, is shown on the attached map.
·
Areas 2 and 6
would have the next highest priority, but cannot be properly managed with the
available harvesting capacity. Work in area 4 will have priority whenever
harvesting is needed in that area. Residents will be informed of this focus,
which will result in limited harvesting elsewhere.
Mechanical harvesting:
·
Estimated rate of
0.15 to 0.3 ac/hr for harvesting, or about 1.1 load per hour; operator to keep
records of hours worked and loads delivered to hopper at beach. Rate may
increase after first cutting as plant density decreases.
·
Operator to
determine most efficient path for area 4; probably best to follow a path that
results in least need to change cutting depth for each pass through the area
(i.e., cut a swath at 3 ft depth, then another at 4 ft, etc., as opposed to
going in a straight line and constantly changing cutting depth); maximize
cutting time and rate. Cut as much of the area as possible, recognizing
limitations in very shallow water.
·
Current estimate
of 40% of time spent actually cutting plants, 60% spent on transport and
offloading; operator to estimate actual cutting time per day and total time
worked on lake per day.
·
Current estimate
of <5 hours per day and <5 days spent on water in harvesting program;
operator to record hours and days worked on Morses
Pond.
·
Operator to cut
nuisance species as close to bottom as possible without cutting any existing,
low growing desirable plants; few if any of these were found in area 4 (Robbins
pondweed, Potamogeton robbinsii was
present in 2004, but not observed yet in 2005) – see addendum for target
species, species to avoid, and intermediate species.
·
Operator to avoid
areas of desirable species when dominant; only broadleaf pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius)
appears to qualify in area 4 in 2005, but Robbins pondweed (Potamogeton robbinsii) was present in 2004.
Aggressively Harvest:
Eurasian watermilfoil
(Myriophyllum spicatum)
Variable watermilfoil
(Myriophyllum heterophyllum)
Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
Water chestnut (Trapa natans)
Species to Harvest as
Waterweed (Elodea canadensis)
Naiad (Najas flexilis)
White water lily (Nymphaea odorata)
Yellow water lily (Nuphar variegata)
Species to Avoid when Harvesting
Broadleaf pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius)
Robbins’ pondweed (Potamogeton robbinsii)
Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum)
Other species in the lake are
uncommon, especially in area 4; collect a sample and inquire before harvesting
if something different is encountered.
Harvesting Information to be Collected
For each day and area of
harvesting: Record
for each area on each day of harvesting
Date:
______ Allows a
record of when and how often
Area
harvested: ______ Use map; Area 4 has top priority
Hours
related to harvesting: ______ Time spent on water or in
maintenance
Hours
spent actually cutting: ______ Actual harvesting time; exclude
transport/offload
Full
loads brought to beach: ______ Hopper full or close to it
Partial
loads brought to beach: ______ Hopper <75% full
Identifiable
plants harvested: ___________ List any plants that could be identified,
in order of abundance
___________
___________
___________
Notes
or comments:
Species to be Harvested or Avoided
Aggressively Harvest:
Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) – feathery
leaves, reddish stem, small reddish seed spike may protrude above water.
Variable watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) –
similar to M. spicatum, but bushier; seed spike
protruding above water has different looking leaves just below it.
Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) – looks similar to milfoils, but has
fan-shaped leaves when observed closely; flowers are white.
Water chestnut (Trapa natans) Fan shaped leaves in a rosette arrangement,
sharp-pointed nuts (seeds).
Species to Harvest as
Waterweed
(Elodea canadensis) – dark green, curved leaves,
denser at tips. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4.
Naiad (Najas flexilis) – small elongate leaves with spines along edges,
very bushy growths in pond.
White water lily (Nymphaea odorata) – roundish leaves, slit
on one side, flowers showy white with yellow toward center.
Yellow water lily (Nuphar variegata) – leaves heart shaped, yellow flowers.
Species to Avoid when Harvesting:
Broadleaf pondweed (Potamogeton
amplifolius) – wide, curved leaves with green to
bronze color.
Robbins’ pondweed (Potamogeton
robbinsii) – fern-like leaves, alternating, usually
bronze.
Coontail
(Ceratophyllum demersum) –
whorls of spiny thin leaves, usually very bushy, gritty to the touch.
Algal mats may also be harvested to the extent
possible, usually with rooted plant growths.
