By now, we’ve all become accustomed to the feathery green weeds choking the river. The weeds, an invasive species known as Eurasian Milfoil, injure us on three levels. They impair the river ecologically, they lessen its recreational value, and they are an aesthetic nightmare.
Last year, as you may know, we petitioned the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for the right to remove the milfoil from the river. It took some doing, but they gave us limited permission to control the milfoil. (We were surprised to learn that even invasive species have rights.) Then we acquired a milfoil harvester from a company in Minnesota, hoping that it would allow us to keep the weeds at bay. [See what we did there?] Unfortunately, it just hasn’t proven robust enough to do the job. The Town Engineer had watched the harvester work in Minnesota, but evidently our milfoil is nastier than the Minnesota version.
But we are still working the problem, and this will only become a milfailure if we stop. We are attempting something difficult, and there is no textbook for it. Our next step: A representative from a company which makes larger harvesters will pay us a visit, inspect our milfoil, and watch us try to cut it. We’re hoping they can offer some more appropriately sized equipment.
Hang in there.