Posted:
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015 (Halifax, NS) – Mechanical harvesting work to address the excessive weed growth in Lake Banook and Lake Micmac in Dartmouth began today and is expected to take until the end of August to complete.
This work will happen on weekdays only in targeted areas of the lakes, working around any scheduled paddling events. As a result, the work is expected to have negligible, if any, impacts on lake users.
Residents and local paddling clubs first reported the weeds in the two lakes in the summer of 2009 and again in 2010. Lake users were concerned the weeds were interfering with recreational activities, including swimming, motorized boating and paddling. The lakes also play host to regional, national and international sporting events.
Municipal staff met with the public to discuss the issue and review the findings of an independent report on the cause and possible solutions to the weed problem. With that feedback, Regional Council approved $210,000 in the 2015/16 municipal budget for mechanical weed harvesting.
The municipality put out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for that work and last month the contract was awarded to Natural Ocean Products.
All harvesting operations will be required to meet provincial and federal regulatory requirements to protect the environment. The harvested weeds will be collected daily and delivered to a composting facility for proper disposal.
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