Dredging includes diver-operated suction harvesting, mechanical digging equipment, dredges and large suction equipment.
Dredging remove weeds and sediment. It’s a very effective way to remove unwanted vegetation and muck.
The BIG Problem: Crazy expensive and won’t last long
Bringing in dredging equipment is cost-prohibitive for most people. You’ll also need a place to dump the weeds and muck. You may need inspections and permits. Some locations are simply impossible to bring in dredging equipment. Diver-operated suction harvesting is an option in such places, if you can find a diver who offers this service.
The other issue is gravity. It’s like when you clear the snow off your driveway and then the wind blows the snow around. Where does the snow end up? Right back in your driveway. Water moves silt particles around like wind blows snow,. Over time, silt particles migrate to the lowest spot — your dredged-out beach.
We had a neighbor who dredge a canal 6-feet deep, 150-yards long. Three years later it was just 3-feet deep. Today, it’s about a foot of water — the rest is several feet of silty, mucky soil.
Ironically, the lake where I invented the original LakeMat was dredged in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The old-timers said it was fantastic for ten years. But by the time I got there, 35 years later, it had become a mucky, weedy mess again.
MuckMat Pro vs. Dredging
MuckMat Pro is far more affordable. A lake association I spoke with was trying to raise money to have their lake dredged at a cost of about $15,000 per property owner. That was years ago, I’d guess it’s over $20,000 now. Pretty pricey compared to a few MuckMat Pros.
And because you’re not “digging a hole” in your lake bottom, there’s nothing to fill in with sediment. Silt can still settle on a MuckMat Pro — just sweep it off with a push broom.
It takes less than a half-hour to assemble and install a MuckMat Pro. You’ll immediately be weed-free, with a much firmer lake bottom to walk on.
Note:
LakeMat Pros are for lake weeds only.
MuckMat Pros are for both lake weeds and a firmer lake bottom.
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