The Weed Harvesting Program
The Lake Preservation Program
The Silver Springs Lake Association Members initiated The Lake Preservation Program in 2023. Lake Weed Harvesting was selected as the most eco-friendly and cost effective means to slow and potentially reverse Lake Eutrophication (aging). Removing tonnage of Weed and Chara algae biomass will result in lighter lake weed growth and less muck accumulation on our shoreline lakebed. Removing more nutrients (lake weed biomass) from our lake than Mother Nature puts into it each year will preserve our lake's water clarity, its beauty, and its (swimming, fishing and boating) recreational value for our future generations.
Inland Harvester ILH-250
in 2023 the Clean Water Committee researched and determined that the ILH-250 was the best Aquatic weed harvesting equipment to use on Silver Springs Lake. It has a six (6) foot tall and seven (7) foot wide harvesting head, with conveyors that move cut weeds into a very large hopper. More hopper capacity means fewer trips to the launch ramp for unloading, which gives you more harvesting service time.
The Weed Harvesting Program Goal
Starting in 2024, The Association hired Aquatic Plant Management (Minocqua, WI) to perform three (3) 40-Hour plant harvesting campaigns. Their equipment of choice for this service just happens to be ILH-250 Harvesters. Their perfomance in 2024 was exemplary. They removed 31 truckloads of cut lake weeds and Chara algae in 2024 and another 30 truckloads in 2025. Lake weed growth patterns are always changing. The Lake Weed Harvesting Program will be modified as necessary to remove 30 truckloads of biomass each year.