The Pigeon Lake Protection & Rehabilitation District took delivery of a new weed cutter on Friday, May 8.
The weed cutter was built by Aquarius Systems in North Prairie. It took 3-4 months to build.
T.J. Cooley, a commissioner for the district, said the new weed cutter retails for $180,000. He said the district paid for half the cost of the weed cutter, while the other half was paid for with a DNR grant.
The previous weed cutter the district had was 24 years old, Cooley said.
“It had a life expectancy of 10 years,” he added.
Cooley said the new weed cutter is built on a stainless steel barge, rather than a pontoon. The old weed cutter was built with mild steel and painted.
“Other than that, it’s pretty much the same machine,” he said.
The motor is bigger in the new weed cutter, but Cooley said it will still take the same amount of time to cut and harvest weeds in the lake.
“We cut pretty much every day from the middle of May to the middle of October,” Cooley said.
No cutting takes place on windy days, or when thunderstorms with lightning are within five miles of the area.
“You don’t have to be under the thunderstorm to be struck by lightning, and that big piece of metal out in the middle of the lake is a definite draw for lightning,” he said.
Cooley said the district plans to start cutting and harvesting weeds on the lake this week.