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Aquatic plants being harvested in Lake Monona (photo courtesy Dane County)

An interview with a Dane County Aquatic Plant Harvester Operator

If you’ve spent time around any of Greater Madison’s lakes, you’ve probably seen these large machines in action. Unofficially and incorrectly known as “weed cutters,” the machines and their operators play a vital role in keeping our lakes open to everyone. The proper name for the machine is aquatic plant harvester, because they’re not just cutting weeds, they’re harvesting and removing vegetation from our lakes. 

So how do they work? What are they doing? Who is out there driving them? Clean Lakes Alliance visited Lake Monona on a beautiful August day to ride along on one of Dane County’s aquatic plant harvesters driven by Donn Kidd to get some answers.

Aquatic plants being harvested in Lake Monona
Riding along with Donn Kidd on one of Dane County’s aquatic plant harvesters on Lake Monona in 2023, photo courtesy Dane County
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