Worst Water Weeds: Sargassum

This particular plant is widely known as the “common reed,” but the havoc it is causing on wetlands in various parts Nothing ruins a trip to the beach like having to navigate around or through piles of rotting seaweed to get to the water. This is why Sargassumhas earned a place on our list of the worst water weeds. This genus of macroalgae (seaweed), started making headlines back in 2015 when huge amounts of it started piling up and decaying on lovely Caribbean island beaches such as the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Antigua, and Tobago. Then it hit the Caribbean coast of Mexico, wreaking havoc especially in Cancun as well as Belize. It has also started appearing in large quantities on some Florida beaches. Hundreds of beaches have been affected while others remain clear depending on location. Check out the maps at Sargassum Monitoring for more information. Here’s everything you need to know about Sargassum.of the United States is anything but, which is why it definitely makes our list of the worst water weeds. In the world of scientific botany, the genus is known as Phragmites, with four main species found in different parts of the world. Only one of those four species, however, is the one causing major headaches around the country. It is also on the list of Invasive and Exotic Aquatic Plants maintained by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Here’s what you need to know about Phragmites.

Image credit: Michael Montero/UM News, South Beach on Miami Beach on June 21, 2018.

• Scientific Name: Sargassum. Usually we present scientific names of water weeds with the genus (the first word) and then the species (the second word) because we tend to be focused on a specific species that is either exotic, invasive or both. In this case, however, there are more than 300 different species of Sargussum!
• Origins: Sargassumis a totally natural, brown, “bushy” seaweed.Because it’s not exotic, there are many species that have essentially been around forever. The Sargasso Sea is a portion of the Atlantic Ocean well-defined not by land boundaries but by ocean currents (on the west by the Gulf Stream, on the north by the North Atlantic Current, on the east by the Canary Current, and on the south by the North Atlantic Equatorial Current). It was given its name in the 15thcentury by Portuguese explorers because it reminded them of the wooly rock rose often found growing in the water wells of Portugal, where it was called sargaço. The currents defining the Sargasso Sea result in large amounts of Sargassumbeing present there. On a side note, those currents also collect garbage in that area – the Sargasso Sea is the home of the ginormous North Atlantic Garbage Patch.

• Habitats: The various species of Sargassumcan be found throughout temperate and tropical oceans. It typically likes shallow water and coral reefs. Some species grow attached to rocks and reefs but are broken loose during rough weather. Other species are able to thrive without ever being attached to anything.

Image credit: University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

• Eco-Impacts: When it’s out on the water, Sargassumdoes serve as a food source for some species of herbivorous fishes and sea urchins. The seaweed patches also provide vital habitat to more than 100 species of various arthropods (shrimp, crabs, etc.), worms, mollusks, fish and even sea turtles.But when it washes ashore, it can become a serious problem. As described on the Sargassum Wikipedia page: “The algae wash ashore, pile up on beaches, and decay, often causing a foul odor, releasing fumes of Sulphur compounds that rust metals, can turn taps black in shore houses, damage modern conveniences, and cause respiratory problems, particularly for asthmatics. A doctor in Guadeloupe recorded 52 patients as having Sargassum-related symptoms. Insurance problems arise for tourist operators and homeowners, where the household and business losses do not fall into previous insurance categories. Wildlife also suffer; for example, sea turtle hatchlings die on their way to open water.” In fact, the infestation at Long Beach in Barbados killed 40 sea turtles that became entrapped in the giant raft of Sargassumthat washed ashore in July 2018. These giant mats of the seaweed can also pick up a lot of ocean garbage that can be hazardous to humans and animals alike. As for what’s causing the Sargassuminfestations that clearly have a huge negative impact on tourism and local fishing operations, at this point there are only theories. Warmer water temperatures and shifting current patterns, both of which might be driven by global warming and climate change may be the blame, as well as increased nutrients from agricultural fertilizers that eventually wash into the ocean.

Long Beach, Barbados, July 2018. Image Credit: Barbados Sea Turtle Project

Removing Sargassum with Weedoo Workboats

Once a raft of Sargassumwashes up on shore, you’re faced with the expensive challenge of removing it from the beach, which can also cause damage if the equipment used ends up taking a lot of the beach’s sand with the seaweed. The better approach is to be vigilant about identifying incoming mats of the stuff and get it out of the water before it washes ashore. Weedoo workboats are the ideal solution for this better approach.
Timely removal of Sargassumfrom the water also opens up the possibility of finding various commercial uses for the seaweed, though more research is needed for various ideas to become viable uses. Some have suggested animal feed, but some Sargassumtests too high in arsenic for that. Others suggest using it as source of biomass to produce bio-gas, but the supply would need to be regular (as opposed to the current “surprise” mats that suddenly show up) and collection would need to be affordable.
The Weedoo TC Series of compact workboats are ideal for Sargassumremoval as the seaweed can easily be pushed onto a low-profile floating barge or mat and hauled away for disposal or use. The rugged hull of a Weedoo TC workboat is constructed of fiberglass and Kevlar and features a deck-mounted marine boom cutter, front-end loader with universal marine bucket system, and T-1305 highway transportation trailer. Its cyclonic hydraulic system provides eco-friendly fluids to the high-efficiency triple-pump setup producing 27 GPM. The factory-installed power platform features a Kubota D902 3-cylinder liquid cooled diesel engine with electric start and alternator. The system includes twin propulsion outdrives with Weedoo Weed-N-Mud propellers and quick-change hydraulics for various aquatic work attachments and accessories. Contact Weedoo today with any questions you may have or to get a quote – we’re here to help!

Worst Water Weeds: Phragmites Australis

This particular plant is widely known as the “common reed,” but the havoc it is causing on wetlands in various parts of the United States is anything but, which is why it definitely makes our list of the worst water weeds. In the world of scientific botany, the genus is known as Phragmites, with four main species found in different parts of the world. Only one of those four species, however, is the one causing major headaches around the country. It is also on the list of Invasive and Exotic Aquatic Plantsmaintained by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Here’s what you need to know about Phragmites.

An infestation of Phragmites (photo credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, on invasive.org)

• Scientific Name: Phragmites australis..
• Origins: This is where things get a little tricky with Phragmites. As it turns out, there isa subspecies, Phragmites americanus, that is native to North America, meaning it is not exotic nor is it invasive. But Phragmites australisis very much both exotic and highly invasive. Its origins are in Europe, but it made its way to North American sometime in the late 1700s or early 1800s, probably in the ballast of sailing vessels.
• Habitats: Phragmites australisis a perennial grass that can grow in damp ground, marshes and other wetlands with standing water up to a height of 3 feet, although it has also been seen to form floating mats that launch out over deeper waters. It can spread very quickly by way of rhizomes (horizontal runners) at a rate of up to 16 feet per year. The height of this plant’s woody, hollow stems typically ranges between 6-15 feet, although some have been known to reach heights of nearly 20 feet. Its leaves are thin, flat and yellow, growing in an alternate pattern along the stem and are usually 1-1.5” in width, taper towards the end, and can grow to over a foot in length. When Phragmites australisis firmly established, its more extensive stands can cover areas as large as 250 acres. It can also spread by means of windblown seeds, soil transfer and animals. It is highly adaptable to environmental conditions and can survive even insurvive stagnant, oxygen poor or salty conditions. And as you can see in the map below, there are few places in the US where you won’t find Phragmites.

• Eco-Impacts: Phragmitesaustralisrobs native species of plants and fish of nutrients and space. The dense thickets can also make recreational endeavors such as swimming and fishing completely impossible, not to mention totally obscuring shoreline views. These plants can also be considered a significant fire hazard. Thick stands of Phragmites australis (sometimes with well over 20 stalks per square foot) displace native plants, alter hydrology and block sunlight to the aquatic community.

Phragmites Removal with Weedoo Environmental Work Boats

Worst Water Weeds: Water Hyacinth

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a floating plant that can grow in all types of fresh-water habitats. Its height above the water can vary from a few inches to as high as three feet. It has broad, glossy, leathery oval-shaped leaves and produces a deceptively pretty lavender or pinkish flower. The stalks are long, spongy and bulbous, and the feathery root masses underwater are purple-black in color. Part of what makes the water week so wily is how quickly it grows. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing plants known on the entire planet. Mats of water hyacinth can double in size in as little as 6-18 days. This is highly problematic for several reasons. An infestation can quickly cover a body of water entire, from shore to shore. The sheer mass of plant material involved is shocking. An acre of water hyacinth can weigh as much as 200 tons, and a serious infestation can be several acres in size, essentially rendering the body of water useless to anything or anyone. The invasiveness of this plant is attributed to its ability to quickly clone itself. Bodies of water that have already been affected by human activities are particularly vulnerable, and especially those with elevated level of nutrients.

Major water hyacinth infestation in Florida

• Scientific Name: Eichhornia crassipes. Typically referred to as water hyacinth or common water hyacinth.
• Origins: Native to tropical and sub-tropical areas of South America, water hyacinth was introduced to the US in 1884 at the World Fair held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The plants were handed out as gifts by people visiting from Japan. In a surprisingly short amount of time, the plants were thoroughly choking out rivers, killing off fish and even stopping ships from navigating waterways.
• Habitats: In any temperate climate, water hyacinth can grow rapidly in lakes, rivers, ponds, reservoirs and ditches. It can’t grow when the temperature dips below 54° F, so it dies off in winter in colder climates, but often resurges in spring and summer.
• Eco-Impacts: When water hyacinth infests a body of water, it can easily clog it up so badly that it renders all water activities impossible, whether its boating, fishing or swimming. Water-flow becomes greatly diminished, and the thick mats block sunlight, killing off other native water plants. It also blocks the air-water interface, causing a depletion of oxygen in the water that kills of fish and other aquatic animals. All this in turn further disrupts the surrounding animals that depend on water access for sustenance. An infestation of the plant also forms a prime habitat for mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.
• Distribution: The map below shows the extent to which water hyacinth can be found in the US. The worst on-going infestations are in the Southern US with its warmer temperatures.
• Controls: Decades of research have yielded surprisingly little in the way of effective controls for this devastating water weed. Biological control experiments have largely failed, although there are a couple of species of weevils and one moth that have shown some promise. Chemical control with herbicides has been tried, but often causes further problems. Mechanical removal is difficult for a major infestation, but does work as a stop-gap measure.

Distribution of water hyacinth in the US in 2014

Water Hyacinth Removal with Weedoo Environmental Work Boats

The Weedoo Compact Workboat ready to tackle mechanical harvesting of water hyacinth.

Getting the upper hand against water hyacinth can be a real challenge depending on the size of the infestation you’re trying to tackle. Mechanical removal with a Weedoo Environmental Work Boat such as the Weedoo Compact Workboat can help you get the job done without using dangerous chemicals that introduce a whole other set of problems by contaminating the water.

The Weedoo Compact Workboat model features a Fiberglass/Kevlar hull configuration and includes a deck-mounted marine boom cutter, front-end loader with universal marine bucket system, and a 1305 highway transportation trailer with emergency and safety tow kits. Factory installed PowerPack features fluid-cooled gas or diesel engine options with electric start. The system includes twin propulsion outdrives with Weedoo Weed-N-Mud propellers and quick-change hydraulics for aquatic work attachments. This is a versatile piece of equipment that is an effective solution to many kinds of water weed infestations.

Ready to tackle those wily water weeds without chemicals? Contact Weedoo today!

Worst Water Weeds: Cattails

Most people call them cattails, although you’ll come across those who refer them as “punks” or even as “corn dog grass.” If you happen to be British, you’re more likely to call them “bulrushes” or “reedmace.” They are members of the scientific family of Typhaceae, large marsh plants sporting the telltale brownish compact “flower” that some think looks like a hot dog or sausage. They are one of the most common plants you’ll find in the northern hemisphere in wetlands like marshes and ponds. And therein lies the problem. Unlike some of the other worst water weeds I’ve written about here, cattails are not exotic. They are native and meant to be part of the wetland ecosystems where they occur. But just because they’re native doesn’t mean they aren’t invasive.

This is where it’s useful to mention what we mean by the word “weed.” The simplest definition is this: A weed is any plant growing in a place where you don’t want it. Having a few cattails on the edge of your favorite pond is no big deal. But under the right conditions, cattails can spread quickly and become problematic.

An infestation of cattails

• Scientific Name: Typha (genus). There are about 30 different species of cattails. Two common species in the USA are broad leaved cattail (T. latifolia) and narrow leaf cattail (T. angustifolia).
• Origins: Cattails are native throughout the northern hemisphere.
• Habitats: Various wetland ecosystems like marshes and pond edges are their preferred habitat. They vary in height from three to ten feet. They spread through two methods –when the brown hotdog-looking flower turns into a fluffy seed head, and also by their thick white rhizome roots.
• Eco-Impacts: If you’re a pond owner, you may have good reason to view cattails with uncertainty. When the cattails have the opportunity to grow aggressively, their stands can become impenetrably thick, blocking your view and threatening to take over the whole pond, which they can do because cattail beds can extend their hefty rhizomes far out into the water and actually float above deeper waters the plants would otherwise avoid. Besides the aesthetic and logistical problems a cattail infestation can cause, they can also crowd out other important native species. This kind of infestation is probably the result of nutrient levels being too rich in the water, which could be the result of human activity. Find out what’s happening around the body of water in question to see if you can discover a source of nutrients that is over-fertilizing the wetland.
• Controls: Mechanical removal or burning the stalks, followed by prolonged flooding; chemical herbicides.

Cattails taking over

Removing Cattails with Weedoo Environmental Work Boats

The Weedoo TC 3000 series can tackle your cattail infestation

Most people don’t want to dump a bunch of chemicals on their pond or other wetlands to get rid of an infestation of cattails. You simply don’t know what other kinds of damage you may be causing to the whole ecocystem you’re trying to protect and enjoy. A great way to tackle a cattail invasion is using a Weedoo Environmental Work Boat such as the TC 3000 series.

The TC 3000 series features a fluid-controlled PowerPack gasoline engine with triple pump hydraulics, twin-drive Trim-n-Tilt TC 3000 series propulsion, a work implement deck mounting rack and stanchions. Also featured on the TC 3000 series is a full operator station with helm control, premium marine seat, adjustable footrest, marine bucket loader, quick-change material handling marine bucket and hi-speed boom cutter for continuous cutting.

Ready to tackle those wily water weeds without chemicals? Contact Weedoo today!

Worst Water Weeds: Water Chestnut

With this article, we get back to exploring invasive exotic species, and this time it’s the water chestnut or water caltrop (Trapa natans), not to be confused with the Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) that you can buy in cans in grocery stores and used in Western-style Chinese food. The water chestnut is a floating annual aquatic plant native to the warm temperate areas of Eurasia and Africa. The underwater stems of the water chestnut can reach as far as 12-15 feet and anchor themselves in the mud with very fine roots. On the submerged stem are feathery divided leaves but at the surface are undivided triangular or ovoid leaves with saw-toothed edges in a rosette formation. Each fruit of this plant is a nut armed with four sharp barbs. Each nut contains a single large, starchy seed that is edible, and the plant has been cultivated in parts of Asia for more than 3,000 years for that reason. In its native habitats, insects keep the plant in check, but since we don’t have those insects in North America, water chestnut can become extremely invasive. It’s an annual that dies back each year, but the distribution of its seeds, which can remain viable for 12 years, brings it back stronger each year.

Major water chestnut infestation on a river in NY.

• Scientific Name: Trapa natans. The water chestnut is also known as water caltrop, buffalo nut, bat nut, devil pod, ling nut, lin kok, ling kio nut, or singhara.
• Origins: Native to warm temperate regions of Eurasia and Africa, water chestnut was brought to the US in the 1870s. It was being grown in a botanical garden of Harvard University from which it escaped and began infesting the Charles River. It was also introduced to Collins Lake near Scotia, NY in the 1880s.
• Habitats: Although water chestnut typically prefers calm, nutrient-rich water bodies, it can and does survive in in slow-moving waters as well. It can over-winter in the frozen lakes of norther climates.
• Eco-Impacts: This is a highly competitive species that can quickly spread and form dense impenetrable matts on the surface of water bodies that displace native species, reduce biodiversity, hamper recreational uses, reduce real estate values and harm aesthetic values. The barbs on each nut are very sharp and can penetrate shoes with leather soles, posing a hazard to people.
• Distribution: One of the worst infestations covers more than 300 acres on Lake Champlain between New York and Vermont. Water chestnut is now found in the following areas: Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and in the Canadian Province of Quebec.
• Controls: While small infestations can be pulled by hand, larger infestations require mechanical harvesting, ideally before ripe seeds are produced. Because the seeds remain viable, mechanical harvesting will need to be repeated yearly for at least a decade to fully eradicate the plant. The same would hold true if herbicides are used. Research is being conducted at Cornell University to see if there is an insect predator from China that can be brought in to help, but it’s a tricky proposition to introduce a new exotic species unless you can be sure it’s not going to negatively impact native plants.

Most people don’t want to use chemicals on ponds o rivers to get rid of an infestation of
water chestnut. It’s a dangerous form of treatment that could
have all kinds of unforeseen negative consequences and
impacts on the very ecosystem you’re trying to protect. One
of the most e ective ways to tackle a major water chestnut invasion is mechanical harvesting.

Worst Water Weeds: Duckweed

Duckweed makes our list of worst water weeds because it can be a huge nuisance to ponds and other still water bodies. There are many different species of this flowering floating aquatic plant, most of which are native, but at least one of which is exotic. What they all have in common, however, is that with the right conditions, they can become incredibly invasive and wreak havoc on other native species. And yes, it also makes the list of 79 different invasive and exotic aquatic plants maintained by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. While ducks do love to feed on it, this water weed can rapidly outstrip the appetite of local waterfowl and take over a pond.

An infestation of giant duckweed

• Scientific Name: Lemna minor, Pirodela polyrhiza, Landoltia punctate (to name a few)
• Origins: The common and giant varieties are both natives to North America while the dotted variety (Landoltia punctate) was originally found in Australia and South Asia but escaped from cultivation and has been carried all around the world.
• Habitats: These tiny plants love nutrient-rich ponds and other still or extremely slow-moving bodies of water. If a pond has lots of dead organic matter at the bottom, this is what becomes a rich source of nutrients for duckweed. Surface runoff from agricultural operations can also result in a pond gaining more nutrients than it would normally have, making it vulnerable to an infestation.
• Eco-Impacts: This water weed can single-handedly ruin an otherwise healthy pond. When a relatively stagnant body of water becomes nutrient-saturated, duckweed takes off and can form a dense mat of vegetation on the water’s surface. It can rob the water of its oxygen, leading to fish die-offs, and can also crowd out other desirable native plant species such as sawgrass.

Correctly Identifying Duckweed

Common duckweed

Common duckweed (Lemna minor) is a floating freshwater aquatic plant featuring one, two or three leaves, with each having a single root hanging in the water. The plants can divide rapidly as more leaves grow and become separate individuals. The roots tend to be 1–2 centimeters long. The leaves are oval-shaped, typically 1–8 millimeters long and 0.6–5 millimeters wide, light green, usually with three (rarely five) veins and small air spaces for flotation assistance.

Giant duckweed

Giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) typically has two or three rounded leaves that are most often connected and sometimes feature a red dot on top. Giant duckweed usually has several roots (as many as nine) hanging underneath each leaf. The under-leaf surface of this species is dark red.

Dotted duckweed

Dotted duckweed (Landoltia punctate) is often confused with giant duckweed, but dotted duckweed is smaller, more shoe-shaped, and does not have a red dot on top. It typically features fewer roots (up to 4), and sometimes has a red margin on the underneath of the leaves. The “dotted” part of its name refers to barely perceptible raised dots on the surface of its leaves.

Duckweed Removal with Weedoo Environmental Work Boats

e Weedoo Skimmer Bucket attachment is excellent for collecting duckweed. algae and other small particle debris

Worst Water Weeds: Eurasian Watermilfoil

Commonly called Eurasian Watermilfoil or Spiked Watermilfoil, this invasive exotic water weed is becoming as widespread and as troublesome as Hydrilla. It’s on the list of 79 different invasive and exotic aquatic plants maintained by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Although its feathery appearance is attractive, the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, a joint effort of the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, calls it “a highly invasive and aggressive species.”

Scientific Name: Myriophyllum spicatum.


Origins: The first recorded instances of Eurasian Watermilfoil date back to the 1940s, but it’s likely to have been introduced to North America even earlier than that, as far back as the 1880s. Like Hydrilla, it was once a common plant to purchase for aquariums. It is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa.


Habitats: This submersed aquatic plant is rooted and its stems extend up to the water surface, typically reaching 3-10 feet in length but can grow as long as 30 feet. It can be found in lakes, reservoirs, ponds, ditches, streams, small rivers and even the brackish waters of estuaries and bays. Similar to Hydrilla, it can form dense tangles of stems underwater and thick mats at the surface and also can reproduce from its own small fragments, which is why it has been able to spread throughout the nation.

Eco-Impacts: Eurasian Watermilfoil can greatly alter the aquatic ecosystems where it takes root. The thick mats can prevent recreational uses (boating, fishing, swimming). It can interfere with irrigation and power generation by blocking water intakes. It can block needed oxygenation when the thick mats prevent the flow of oxygenated surface waters to deeper water. It also increases rates of sedimentation by keeping sediments trapped. Because it starts its spring growth earlier than native species, Eurasian Watermilfoil shades them out, decreasing aquatic plant diversity.

Correctly Identifying Eurasian Watermilfoil

Weedoo’s TC 3000 series® Work Boat unloading into Lake Balboa
(Photo credit: Jeff Meek Photos)

One of the problems with Watermilfoil is that there are native non-invasive species you want to protect, the main one of which is Northern Watermilfoil. According to Brant Lake Milfoil Control, “It can be distinguished by the number of leaf divisions; Eurasian milfoil has 9-21 pairs of leaflets per leaf, while Northern milfoil typically has 7-11 pairs of leaflets. Another technique for telling the two apart is that the feathery leaves of Eurasian milfoil collapse when removed from the water, while Northern Milfoil leaves remain firm. The photograph shows the difference (Northern Watermilfoil is on the left, Eurasian Watermilfoil is on the right).

Eurasian Watermilfoil Removal with Weedoo Environmental Work Boats

Chemical herbicides used on ponds, lakes, rivers or reservoirs to get rid of Eurasian Watermilfoil is rarely a good idea, which is why many infestations have been tackled by manual or mechanical removal. Doing it by hand takes a lot of volunteer labor and is incredibly time-consuming. If you’re facing a serious Eurasian Watermilfoil infestation, this is when you want to consider a Weedoo Work Boat such as our AquaHarvester.


Fiberglass/Kevlar® construction includes Weedoo 170-Conveyor/Harvesting System with detachable bag collection assembly and Weedoo T-1305 DOT-approved highway boat trailer. The factory-installed 24-Volt PowerPack includes a lithium/solar battery system that runs all day without burning fossil fuels and includes on-board marine charger and captain helm assembly. Available in single motor or twin Torqeedo outdrives mounted on Weedoo Power Trim-N-Tilt system.


Ready to tackle those wily water weeds without chemicals? Contact Weedoo today!

Worst Water Weeds: Hydrilla

The Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health lists a total of 79 different invasive and exotic aquatic plants that can be found in various parts of the United States. Some are wreaking more havoc than others, but one of the worst of all is hydrilla. It has invaded across much of the southern United States, and is beginning to make its way northward. Below are the basics of this invasive exotic water weed that the USDA Forest Service calls “…one of the most troublesome aquatic plants in the United States.”

• Scientific Name: Hydrilla verticillata.
• Origins: This is unclear, but hydrilla is probably native to Asia or Africa, although now it seems to be just about everywhere on the planet. It made its first appearance in the US back in the 1950s when it was introduced as a plant for aquariums.
• Habitats: This submersed freshwater perennial herb prefers calm waters. It grows upward from its roots at the bottom of the pond, lake or slow-moving river. It can reach the water’s surface even from depths of 40 feet. Once at the surface, it forms a deep mat of vegetation. If you see hydrilla at the surface, you’ve got a serious infestation on your hands because it has already grown up through the water from the bottom, wreaking havoc along the way.
• Eco-Impacts: Hydrilla mats can get so dense that they not only completely crowd out native vegetation, but actually suck up so much oxygen that fish start dying off. It clogs irrigation systems and can make waterways completely impassable for boaters, swimmers, and anglers.
• Controls: Mechanical removal, sterile triploid Chinese grass carp, chemical herbicides.

Hydrilla tangling up a boat propeller

Hydrilla Removal with Weedoo Environmental Work Boats

No one wants to dump a bunch of chemicals on a pond, lake, river or reservoir to get rid of hydrilla. When the community of Hot Springs Village, AR realized it had a hydrilla infestation on their hands, they turned to Weedoo Work Boats for help.

As reported by Jeff Meek in the Hot Springs Village Voice, Roddy McCaskill’s Water Weed Harvesting company was brought in to try and get the problem under control using one of Weedoo’s TC 3000 series® work boats.


The TC 3000 series® has set a whole new standard in hi-speed aquatic weed removal. The one-ton TC 3000 series represents the first modern weed removal design in nearly a century. Lightweight composites combined with powerful twin hydraulic propulsion drives provide far greater maneuverability and power when compared to traditional aquatic harvesters. The heavy-duty boom-style cutter operates at over 900 strokes per minute to slice through hydrilla like a hot knife through soft butter at depths of up to 5 feet below the surface. The TC 3000 series also features the first marine-style loader designed to remove up to 30 tons of water-soaked hydrilla per hour, which provides vastly superior productivity over other harvester-style boats.Are Lake Balboa’s hydrilla problems solved forever? Probably not. Mechanical removal is oftentimes just a good first step towards eradication. It only takes a few plant fragments to begin a new round of growth, but the initial removal gives lake managers enough time to determine their next step, which might well be some well-placed grass carp to take care of any hydrilla that remains.

The TC 3000 series® features a Fiberglass/Kevlar® superior hull design, deck-mounted marine boom cutter, front-end loader with universal marine bucket system, and a 1305 highway transportation trailer with emergency and safety tow kits. Its factory-installed PowerPack features fluid cooled gas or diesel engine options with electric start. VVR hydraulic reservoir provides eco-friendly fluid to high efficiency triple pump setup producing 27 GPM. System includes twin propulsion outdrives with Weedoo Weed-N-Mud propellers and quick change hydraulics for Weedoo aquatic work attachments.

A barge was used to float large batches of harvested hydrilla that were eventually trucked away for disposal (Photo credit: Bill Staggs)

Ready to tackle those wily water weeds without chemicals? Contact Weedoo today!