Advertisement

Cities 101: Prospect Park Cleans its Lake with a Lake “Mess” Monster!

Cities 101: Prospect Park Cleans its Lake with a Lake “Mess” Monster!
Weed Harvester Launches in Prospect Park Lake New Aquatic Weed Harvester Launches in Prospect Park Lake City Council Members Brad Lander and Mathieu Eugene Join Prospect Park Alliance for Inaugural Run WHAT: Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue and City Council Members Brad Lander and Mathieu Eugene celebrate the launching of the newest addition to the Prospect Park Alliance fleet—a brand-new aquatic weed harvester. This vehicle offers an environmentally sound method for Prospect Park Alliance’s Natural Resources Crew to control excessive aquatic weed growth, such as floating water primrose and duckweed, which will help address the water quality of the Prospect Park Lake. City Council Members Brad Lander and Mathieu Eugene funded this $140,000 machine through the Participatory Budgeting Process, and will be on hand to launch the vehicle and join Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue and members of the Alliance’s Natural Resources Crew on the inaugural trip around the Lake. This project is part of a broader focus by Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that sustains the Park, to care for the Park’s natural areas. This event will also kick off a public naming contest, in which Prospect Park Alliance will solicit potential names for this new addition to the fleet, and the public will be able to vote on their favorite entry. The winning name will be affixed to the new machine, and the person who contributed the entry will win a special prize. WHEN/WHERE: Friday, June 1, 11:30 am Prospect Park Lake Esplanade, by LeFrak Center at Lakeside
Become a paid member to listen to this article

Ruddy ducks, Canadian geese, and largemouth bass aren’t the only things you should keep an eye out for as you stroll along Prospect Park Lake. Have you ever wondered how Prospect Park cleans its lake?

This summer be on the lookout for a bright orange boat, punningly named the Lake “Mess” Monster, swimming with the fishes. Last week, the Prospect Park Alliance held a launch ceremony for its brand-new aquatic weed harvester, a floating vehicle that operates essentially like a floating lawn mower. As the boat travels along the lake, it shears the underwater weeds in its path and moves them into a holding tank. The weeds are then taken out of the lake and disposed of as mulch. According to the Alliance, use of the harvester will keep the lake from being overrun with aquatic pests such as floating water primrose and duckweed.

Image courtesy Prospect Park Alliance.

The Lake “Mess” Monster was hailed by Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donahue as an “exciting new piece of machinery that will provide an environmentally sound method for the Alliance to control weeds and improve the water quality of the Prospect Park Lake.” The Alliance has reason to be confident in the newest member of its Natural Resources Crew. This new aquatic weed harvester is replacing an older model that was decommissioned in 2014 after trawling the lake for 20 years. Prospect Park was able to acquire this newer model after receiving funding from the Participatory Budgeting Process, which allows the public to vote on which projects they’d like to fund in their community.

Pesky weeds in Prospect Park Lake. Image courtesy Prospect Park Alliance.

Image courtesy Prospect Park Alliance.

Image courtesy Prospect Park Alliance.

But the public participation process isn’t over. From now until June 30, Prospect Park Alliance is taking suggestions on what the new weed eater should be named. After a public vote, the winning name will be affixed to the side of the harvester.

Submit your best suggestions at www.prospectpark.org/namingcontest, though it may be tough to find a name that will top the one given to the previous aquatic weed harvester: the ‘Lake “Mess” Monster’.

Next, check out the Top 12 Secrets of Prospect Park.

Advertisement

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to Untapped New York.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.