The use of excavators to pull weeds out of Lake Dunstan could be adopted by Land In-formation New Zealand (Linz).
The Guardians of Lake Dunstan organised a trial last week where a digger equipped with a rake head hauled lagarosiphon out of a section of the lake by Richards Beach Rd in Cromwell.
It can grab lake weed about 18m from the shore, and pull out the whole plant. The group hopes this method can be used in addition to weed cutters and spraying to tackle the problem.
Linz Crown property group manager John Hook said it funded the trial to determine whether it might be a viable option for weed control at the lake.
The Linz-co-ordinated Lake Dunstan Aquatic Weed Management Group would decide whether the method should be included as an option in the long-term management plan for controlling lagarosiphon at the lake, he said.
It is expected to be launched in September.
