Mechanical Harvesting of Aquatic Plants. Report I. Field Evaluation of the Aqua-Trio System. Volume I.

The U. S. Army Engineer District, Jacksonville, is instituting environmentally compatible, large-scale aquatic plant control and management programs. Local opposition to the use of chemicals to control waterhyacinths and the lack of a federally registered chemical to control the submersed aquatic plant hydrilla prompted the Jacksonville District to request that the U. S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station evaluate the most advanced off-the-shelf aquatic plant harvesters and harvesting systems. The only equipment found with the potential to meet specified requirements is a three-component mechanical harvesting system, known as the Aqua-Trio, manufactured by Aquamarine Corporation of Waukesha, Wisc. This report reflects the results of the field data collection program and the analysis of the equipment performance. The report is published is two volumes. The main text and Appendixes A-E are contained in Volume I. Volume II contains Appendix F, which is a compilation of all data taken and equipment operating times recorded during the field operation. Author