The Okanagan Basin Water Board’s (OBWB) new amphibious milfoil harvester was working on Vaseux Lake during the month of August. The new machine, which replaces a 1978 harvester and can be launched without a trailer, is designed to cut the top five feet of the milfoil and carry almost two and a half tons at a time to the beach. The load is then collected by a Water Board truck and the weeds are given away for compost for orchards and gardens. The new machine’s engine is more efficient, reducing emissions, and is mounted in the hull which improves stability and makes it quieter than the older harvesters.
The harvester was designed and built in Germany by Berky GMBH, an agricultural, mining, and aquatic equipment manufacturer that recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. After an extensive search and request for proposals for the new equipment, the Berky machine checked all the boxes to enhance OBWB operations and because it is amphibious, it adds flexibility to the milfoil control program which has faced challenges due to changing lake levels and shoreline development.
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