Aquatic Weeds Observations · · PAGE 13.

July 1, 2020:   The lake is getting lower after the heavy rains in June as seen at the end of PAGE 11.

Here is a telephoto version similar to the image above.  Notice how rough the surface of the lake is compared to the area on both sides of the dock.  Hydrilla weeds are part of the problem to be addressed when Aquatic Weeds folks come back for a quarterly clearing of the weeds.

This photo of the tree seen on July 1, 2020 is now showing the sod on the north side of the tree is higher as it leans more toward the south.

July 2, 2020:  I noticed a pair of Cormorants on the dock drying their wings.

This cropped image is taken from the one above.  It reveals a Coot beyond the dock in the middle of the Hydrilla weeds in the lake.

I wanted to get one more photo of the birds on the dock.  The fire pit has some tree limbs that were recently cut from the low-hanging side of the sagging tree.

July 7, 2020:  This alligator is shown on the north side of our dock.  We were in the swimming pool when this guy climbed up on the land at the near end of the dock.  He then climbed on the dock, sat there for a few minutes, then went over the north side of the dock into the lake.  I ran inside to get my camera and captured these two photos below.   Lily pads have started to grow in the area that was first cleared of thick weeds in April 2020.

Another larger image of the gator seen below.

Aquatic Weeds Crew Returns

July 22, 2020:  The crew from Aquatic Weeds have returned for the quarterly maintenance weed control.  This time it is about removing the Hydrilla weeds.

Here is a view where the dock begins.  These are some of the weeds at the shore line to be removed.

This under-water trimmer is operated like a weed-eater.  It is a motorized sickle bar that is moved along the bottom of the lake in the shallows to cut the weeds.  There is a bigger version of this device mounted on one side of the work boats.

It did not take long to load up the barge with hydrilla weeds.

The boats can easily uproot and harvest the hydrilla weeds, placing them on the barge using the front end loader.

There was just ONE weed left near the dock from the work done in April 2020.

The weather was good for this kind of work today.

One of the work boats has the sickle bar working down below cutting weeds on the right side of the boat.  There is a PINK spot on the side of the dock near the shore that are eggs from the snails.

This big rake is used to drag the cut weeds out of the shallow area near the shore.  The work boats can then grab the weeds with their front-end loader, taking them to the barge.

With the water up higher this month. the work boats can get closer to shore than when they were here in April.

This boat has the tines of the front-end loader pushed down into the mud to keep the boat stationary as the two prop drives create water currents to move the loose pieces of weeds toward the opposite end of the dock away from the shore.  Both boats can then scoop up the weeds and place them on the barge.

July 23, 2020:  When the Aquatic Weeds crews were here in April, other residents used their services.  The other sites north of us are also getting cleaned up the next day.

The same cleaning steps are repeated at each location.

July 30, 2020:  This wide-angle image shows the end result of the work one week later.

Here is the view looking west behind our house.  The high water is touching the sagging portion of the deck at the end of the dock.

The water level is up to the top of the sea wall.

This is the last of the weeds up at the sea wall that will be removed by hand.

August 12, 2020:  Here are two images of sunset.

This second image has the forced flash option to light up some of the tree limbs and some ground.

August 13, 2020:  One of our neighbors sits at the end of their dock after 8 AM.

September 7, 2020:  The lake water has been lowered exposing more of the sea wall.  It has been about six weeks since the hydrilla weeds were cleared, and they are back again.

Several snail shells have floated up to the surface after being picked clean by some long-legged birds.

This image is adjacent to our dock near the shore.