Friends of Lake Minnedosa are still waiting for the right time to start harvesting the excess of underwater plant life that grows substantially each summer in their lake.  The ever-growing weed problem in the lake prompted the local lake committee to purchase an $80,000 aquatic weed harvester.

The weed harvester arrived earlier this spring, however, the 9 inches of rain last summer has deterred the excessive growth this year, thus putting a pause on the need to harvest the weeds.

The local committee is a volunteer organization committed to reducing the excessive growth of underwater plants that plague the lake every summer.  Committee chair, Brian Martineau, says the excessive weed growth takes places most significantly at the north end and along both shorelines.

“It was very apparent in 2019, and the conclusion was that the weeds are not going anywhere, we would continue to see that due to the conditions on the lake, which is that the lake is silting in quite a bit so lake levels are a bit shallower,” explains Martineau.  “So, we did a bit of research and came to the conclusion that harvesting the weeds would be the only way to control them, because, people hate weeds,” he adds.

“As soon as the weeds show up, people don’t want to go into the water.”

The abundance of plant growth is dangerous for swimmers, waterskiiers and tube-enthusiasts.  As well, the weeds get tangled up in boat propellers and kayak/canoe paddles.  As the weeds reach to the surface of the water, they impede every kind of watercraft.

During the July 1st weekend of 2020, Minnedosa felt the deluge from the Little Saskatchewan River when torrential amounts of rain fell in the Rivers-Brandon area creating flood conditions along that waterway. 

Minnedosa lake levels rose substantially, compensating for this summer’s lack of rain, but it also slowed the rate of weed growth this spring.  This has bought them some time to sort out the logistics of how to cut the underwater plants and dispose of them properly.

The bright orange harvester consists of front-mounted cutting blades, with the operator controlling operations from a raised platform in the middle.  A series of conveyer belts move the weeds to the back of the craft where they are collected.  From there, the collected weeds are unloaded onto a barge or onto shore when the harvester is at capacity.

A local farmer at the north end of Minnedosa Lake has agreed to take the harvested underwater plants, to use as nutrients on his cultivated land but it will be a big task once the blades start chopping.

Chestermere Lake is located east of Calgary. The Chestermere Parks and Recreation Department uses 3 aquatic plant harvesters in their lake that is 4.8 km long.

Fundraising efforts will continue over the next 2 years for the Friends of Lake Minnedosa Committee to raise their final $55,000-$60,000. 

Martineau says the entire project was estimated at $175,000, but through both local and grant support, the committee's portion is close to $110,000.  The Town of Minnedosa contributed $80,000 for the purchase of the harvester.  The $10,500 transport trailer was funded by the Brandon Area Community Foundation grant.  Now, a proper conveyor is needed in the moving of the harvested weeds out of the lake.  This will be an additional cost.

“Our primary goal now is to work with volunteers on the program and to raise funds, and so far, I think we’ve done reasonably well considering we’ve gone through a COVID period,” shares Martineau.

“We’re pretty excited about the support that we have received from individuals, from businesses, and certainly from the two levels of government; the Town of Minnedosa and the RM of the Municipality of Minto-Odanah,” adds Martineau.  “We’re very appreciative of their help.”

Visit the Friends of Lake Minnedosa Facebook page for more information on fundraising incentives and opportunities to volunteer.