SCUBA Divers needed

[newbie]

I live in a small cove on the lake and we are looking for some help and pricing for a diving service to pull the hated milfoil weed. I know, I have read some articles (both here and the Citizen) about college kids, etc. If anyone could help direct me, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Newbie

[Diver1111]

I was asked to do that last year and decided to check with NH-DES first. They said divers pulling milfoil need to be certified to pull the stuff. They are working on a cert program of some kind and I put my name on the list. Whether or not I actually go do such work remains to be seen but it might be useful to have such a certification in my possession.

As it spreads like wildfire due to even small pieces getting loose it makes sense not to just turn someone loose in there to rip it out. It has to clipped, bagged etc.. as I understand it-something like that.

[jrc]

I think we should start a rumor that if you dry and smoke milfoil, it's better than pot. That way the college kids will pick it for free.

[Chris Craft]

The stuff is nasty and you really only want to pick it if you know what you are doing. It grows so fast it is insane. We have it on our river and in the last few years has really gotten to be such a issue that they are putting tarps down. The crew in our town has a modified pontoon boat that has a filtering suction deal on it. They pic the millfiol out of the ground and let it get sucked up. I will be at my dock one weekend and there will be none, then the next weekend there will be tons of it :( :(

[Old Hubbard Rd]

I think we should start a rumor that if you dry and smoke milfoil, it's better than pot. That way the college kids will pick it for free.That's a good one!!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[Cow Man]

[QUOTE=Diver1111]"They said divers pulling milfoil need to be certified to pull the stuff. They are working on a cert program..."

How can they say that you need to be certified if they don't presently have a certificate to give you? Not that I'm opposed to the idea of getting certified but on what authority is somone going to tell me I can't pull weeds while diving?

[Parker Island Fun]

I love to dive be glad to help

[codeman671]

[QUOTE=Diver1111]"They said divers pulling milfoil need to be certified to pull the stuff. They are working on a cert program..."

How can they say that you need to be certified if they don't presently have a certificate to give you? Not that I'm opposed to the idea of getting certified but on what authority is somone going to tell me I can't pull weeds while diving?

Simply put, the way this stuff spreads if anyone who doesn't know what they are doing attempts this they can make matters a helluva lot worse. I don't blame them for trying to limit the spread and trying to limit who does pull it. Nasty stuff, but I'd rather have a milfoil problem than the snake head fish they deal with elsewhere! :eek:

[Cow Man]

I would think that two divers and a sluice hook up with a filter arrangement on a pontoon boat or something similar would do the trick for large areas, although you would probably muddy the waters a bit.
You have to get the stuff by the roots and when you pull it up it fragments and you have to collect all the fragments or each fragment can become an individual plant. Some type of filter has to be used.
I have used the poor mans approach, snorkle gear and a nylon mesh bag, with some success. It is difficult to get all the fragments however. It mostly grows in shallow depths.
There is the chemical option also.
I do burn the stuff I collect...but I don't inhale!:)
I would be interested in what process the certification agency advocates.