Not all lake weed mats are created equal

Some lake weed control mats, also called bottom barriers, (or benthic barriers) are bad news for the tiny creatures that live and work on your lakebed. If a barrier is made of plastic or tarp-like materials they can form air-tight seals on lake bottoms, suffocating microorganisms that are vital to a healthy lake. Then it gets worse.

LakeMat Pro and MuckMat Pro fabric is “breathable” letting water and gases flow freely, so your lake’s ecology isn’t degraded. Small benthic organisms are free to come and go as they please — and your lakebed remains healthy.

Plastic weed barriers can create multiple problems, trapping gases like methane, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia — turning the area toxic. These gases are created by lake weeds decayed far below your lakebed, deep in muck.

Non-breathable weed barriers create “aquatic hypoxia,” a condition where dissolved oxygen levels reach zero in the water. Nothing you want in your lake can live in such conditions.

Aerobic microorganisms are your cleaning crew. They stay busy 24/7 digesting remains of dead weeds and other organic material. Deprived of oxygen — your cleaning crew leaves, or dies off.

Trapped toxic gases eventually lift barriers to the surface, exactly like heated gas lifts hot air balloons.  Eventually these gas-filled barriers float up and drift with the current, creating boating hazards and other problems.

Another issue is “lake pollution.” Years ago lakefront owners used old carpeting, landscape fabric, metal fencing and other unsuitable materials attempting to control aquatic weeds. But because they were ineffective, these materials were usually left abandoned in lakes, adding to clutter on lakebeds. Removing such materials can be difficult for future property owners.

Now for the good news…

LakeMat Pro and MuckMat Pro provide a 100% effective, truly green solution. Lakebeds remain healthy, as gases are quickly dissipated and oxygen levels remain constant. Our Mats can’t float up and drift away — they’re held firmly in place on your lake bottom by our patented aluminized-steel tube framing system. Our frames also allow you to easy move, clean and remove them.

Made of “non-woven” polypropylene, our fabric is both water- and gas-permeable. We augment gas dissipation with gas-release ports throughout the surface of the fabric. Water can pass though our fabric at a rate of 90 gallons per square foot per minute. Your lake bottom can “breath” so to speak.

The only thing our Mats block is sunlight, which eliminates the lake weeds underneath it. Eliminating unwanted lake weeds while maintaining a clean, healthy lake is exactly what you want.

— Doug Fast