2011 Current Progress
The following are interactive maps showing all Eurasian milfoil harvest locations. Our crew takes GPS points over each location where a plant or plants are harvested, that data is then processed to create these maps. Viewers can change the map background using the drop down menu in the top right corner. Double clicking on the map surface will zoom in one level centering on the point where you click. You can click and drag to move around on the map as well. There is a scale bar in the bottom left as well as zoom and pan tools on the left side of each map.
2011 Total Milfoil Harvest Locations
For a full page view of the map click here
Brant Lake Foundation Bed Map, click here
2011 Weeks 1 & 2 Work Summary, click here
2011 Weeks 3 & 4 Work Summary, click here
2011 Weeks 5 & 6 Work Summary, click here
2011 Week 7 Work Summary, click here
2010 – 8 diver crew, 5 weeks
This year, AIM established full, lake-wide control of the existing milfoil growth. Nearly all of the lake’s littoral zone was covered by AIM divers .An area (Sunset Cove) that occupied the majority of our work in 2008 and 2009 was covered in 1.5 days. Many patches of significant growth were harvested; one in particular in the Northwest end of the lake, however all of them received multiple harvests. As a result, we are drafting a plan to manage the lake via the same methods currently applied on Upper Saranac Lake. In other words, Brant Lake is now in the maintenance phase.
AIM did a lot of work; however the Brant Lake Foundation (BLF) organized the willpower and the public outreach to make it possible. They also conducted constant surface surveys, volunteer diver surveys, placed benthic barrier and hand-harvested many key areas. Theirs is a key example of how to take charge and solve the problem. Without their efforts, the mere idea of a maintenance phase for Brant Lake’s milfoil problem would still be a long ways off.
To see detailed maps produced by the Brant Lake Milfoil Committee click here.
2009 – 8 divers, 2 Top-water
In late May of 2009 AIM returned to Brant Lake with an eight diver crew. The focus was immediately on Sunset Cove and finishing what was started in 2008. In the first two weeks of work the crew harvested 196 bags for a total weight of 4,410 lbs. 132 of those bags were taken out of Sunset Cove. This early in the growing season the plants were small and low growing, meaning that these amounts represent a massive quantity of individual plants. The Sunset Cove area was 100% covered by the AIM dive team and new areas of the lake were being attacked all within a two week time-frame. The crew would return for four additional weeks throughout the season and managed to clear many new, dense sites and swam over all affected areas of the lake. In addition, the areas previously cleared by the team were re-swam (such as Sunset Cove) to remove re-emergent growth and fragments.
2008: 4 Divers, 2 Topwater
AIM first appeared on Brant Lake in 2008 with a six person crew. The immediate priority area was identified as Sunset Cove, a large, wide littoral zone with heavy boat traffic. The area was identified as the most likely source for fragmentation and increased spread of milfoil throughout the lake. The AIM crew spent three weeks working in Sunset Cove and a bay just south of the Point o’ Pines Girl Scout Camp. The milfoil was dense and picking was difficult due to a large amount of growth in a rocky shoal where roots wedged deep into hard crevices. Definite progress was made, but everyone knew that the area needed more attention in 2009.
The Brant Lake Association had already formed a volunteer effort to combat the milfoil infestation under the leadership of Luc Aalmans. The volunteers located dense sites, placed benthic barrier mats and compiled information to improve future efforts. Without their efforts the problem would have been far worse when AIM got involved.