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.
Riding along with Donn Kidd on one of Dane County’s aquatic plant harvesters on Lake Monona in 2023, photo courtesy Dane County
Support clean, healthy lakes with Clean Lakes Alliance’s 12th Annual Loop the Lake Bike Ride, presented by Lake Ridge Bank. It’s an at-your-own-pace bike ride around Lake Monona on Saturday, June 15th that raises funds to protect and preserve Greater Madison’s lakes. Make a day of it while you enjoy entertaining and educational activities at many parks along the route.
Cyclists of all ages and abilities navigate the scenic 13.8-mile loop around Lake Monona. Saturday, June 15th Starting & ending at Olbrich Park (3527 Atwood Avenue, Madison) Course open 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (optional group start at 9 a.m.) $45 per in-person rider (through June 13th), kids 10 and under ride free with a paid adult Get a group to ride – purchase 6 adult registrations for the group rate of $200 $50 per in-person rider (same-day registration on June 15th), kids 10 and under ride free with a paid adult
Registration includes
Fun and educational stops (see information below) Super soft t-shirt, compliments of Lands’ End Food cart item Free beer or seltzer, courtesy of Bell’s Brewery (21+)
Loop the Lake is more than a bike ride – it’s an opportunity for our community to connect with our lakes! Event proceeds will support Clean Lakes Alliance’s work to protect and improve our lakes through on-the-ground projects, educational programs, and water quality monitoring.
You can also choose to ride, walk, run, or paddle from anywhere, at any time! Register for the virtual option for $55 and we’ll mail your shirt!
Stops along the route
Nearly a dozen professional kiters from throughout the Wisconsin area are gathering at Olbrich Park with beautiful kites of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Colorable kites will also be given to the first 100 kids who arrive at Loop the Lake to inspire fun, spark creativity, and introduce youth to the joy of kiting.
Pre-ride stretching session at Olbrich Park from 8:40 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. with barre3
Schluter Park – Get a sweet treat from Monona Police
Winnequah Park – Education station with Aldo Leopold Nature Center – learn about small aquatic critters in our lakes
Grand Crossing Park – hear the salsa band, Orquesta SalSoul
Off Broadway Drafthouse – get a free root beer float and water, or purchase a cold beverage
Olin Park (join us in the wedge between the park and the bike path) – visit with Friends of Nolen Waterfront and enjoy a water station
BB Clark Beach Park – enjoy water and snacks
Hudson Park – learn about the history and significance of this sacred site from expert guides from Ho-Chunk Nation and UW-Madison in this special effigy mound educational stop
Olbrich Park – enjoy a free food cart item from one of Greater Madison’s favorite food carts and a beer or seltzer (21+)
Clean Lakes Alliance’s LakeForecast water quality monitoring program completed its 11th season in 2023. This program is entirely volunteer implemented, with 90 trained monitors assessing water quality conditions from nearshore and offshore locations across all five Yahara lakes (Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa). From Memorial Day through Labor Day, volunteers recorded water clarity, air and water temperature, waterfowl presence, extent of floating plant debris, and the severity of green algae and cyanobacteria at public beaches, lakeside parks, and private piers. Submitted data can be seen in real-time on lakeforecast.org or our free app allowing the general public to stay up to date on current lake conditions.
We reached out to 20 lakefront restaurants to find out what they felt makes them special – besides their great food and drinks! The following are the responses we received and included in our 2023 Greater Madison Lake Guide.
Henry Vilas Park is one of Madison’s oldest lakeside parks, and provides a gathering place along Lake Wingra for swimming, fishing, and even ice skating when the lagoon freezes over. The park was created from a 1904 donation from Wisconsin’s U.S. Senator, William Freeman Vilas (1840-1908), to the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association, an organization committed to the development of parks and scenic drives in the Madison area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Vilas also served as U.S. Postmaster General and Secretary of the Department of the Interior under President Grover Cleveland. Henry Vilas Park is named in memory of William’s son who died in childhood.
Out-of-town anglers drawn to downtown Madison lakes
Spend time walking along Lake Monona between Law Park and Brittingham Park, and you’ll notice anglers tossing lines from plenty of places. Unfortunately, there is a lack of accessible shoreline fishing locations. Folks fishing have to contend with hazards like the wall at the Monona Terrace or the railroad tracks…which are actually illegal to use for fishing. Still, the challenges of fishing on Lake Monona do not seem to stop diehard anglers from spending time doing what they love.
In 2022, Clean Lakes Alliance received a Wisconsin DNR Surface Water Grant to participate in the Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) program. CBCW is a state-wide aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention program. The program increases awareness and education to boaters, anglers, and general lake users on best practices to prevent the further spread of AIS at our local boat landings.
We had so much fun throughout the nine days of Frozen Assets 2023 and we hope you did too! More than 8,000 lake enthusiasts from near and far joined us for science demonstrations, musical performances, ice skating, food and drinks, ice sculpture carving, a chance to try new winter activities, face painting, networking, a chance to run or walk in the only 5K on a frozen lake in North America, and more! We THANK YOU for supporting lakes Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa!
In 2022, our volunteers embarked on the 10th season of LakeForecast water quality monitoring. This work involved collecting nearshore condition reports at piers, beaches, parks, and access points around the five Yahara lakes. From May through September, volunteers measured water clarity, recorded air and water temperature, identified the presence of green algae and cyanobacteria, and noted additional visual observations. Reports are entered into the LakeForecast app where all data are updated in real time.
By Pete Jopke, Water Resources Planner with the Dane County Land & Water Resources Department Article first published in the 2022 Greater Madison Lake Guide, a Clean Lakes Alliance publication
Aquatic plant harvesting on the Yahara lakes
The Dane County Land & Water Resources Department manages an aquatic plant harvesting program with much of the harvesting occurring on lakes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa. Occasionally, other smaller waterbodies are harvested to aid in recreation and invasive plant management. The program dates to the early 1980’s when five harvesters were in operation. In those years, harvests totaled over 300 tons of plant material. In 2021, the existing fleet of 12 harvesters recorded plant harvests of more than 12,000 tons!
Saturday, June 15th
