Nuisance aquatic plant control in Wolverine Lake has been a long-term challenge. With its shallow depth and rich organic sediments Wolverine Lake naturally supports abundant aquatic vegetation. One tool used to address nuisance aquatic weeds is the use of a mechanical harvester. The mechanical harvester is a floating machine that cuts the nuisance plants below the water line, pulls the cuttings up to a storage bin then transports the cuttings to a temporary shoreline storage site for pick-up and disposal. In 2014 the Village purchased a new harvester at a cost of $193,065.00 that is parked at the public access site during the summer. the harvester is maintained by the DPW and operated by a seasonal part time employee.
Not all nuisance plants should be mechanically harvested and in some cases harvesting them can make the situation worse so the Village has hired a water resource management company, ProgressiveAE, to make harvesting recommendations to the Water Board that must be approved by Village Council.
Temporary shoreline storage sites
DNR Access Site
Harvester Schedule - The harvester normally runs weekdays from June to August. The number of days each week depends on
the water resource management company's recommendations and need.