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VIDEO: County Invests in State-of-the-Art Harvester for Enhanced Chautauqua Lake Maintenance

Submitted by Justin Gould on Thu, 08/15/2024 - 09:54

LAKEWOOD, NY – Chautauqua County has further underscored its commitment to lake health by funding a cutting-edge weed harvester for the Chautauqua Lake Association.

Staff from Inland Lake Harvesters made the trip east on August 8, 2024 from Wisconsin to hand over an ILH-1000, their largest available plant harvester and the “flagship of the ILH fleet.”

This addition is just one of several recent equipment purchases that have been made by local stakeholders to help support management and research activities on Chautauqua Lake.

(Pictured left to right: Brian Cole & Mitch Cole, Inland Lake Harvesters; Chautauqua Lake Association Executive Director, Doug Conroe; County Executive, PJ Wendel; joined CLA President, John Ford; CLA Chief Mechanic, James Cappelino; CLA Administrative & Community Services Manager, CLA Administrative Assistant; Natalie King. Photo by Justin Gould / Media Information Officer.)

Following delivery, Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel joined Chautauqua Lake Association (CLA) President John Ford, Executive Director Doug Conroe, Administrative & Community Services Manager Heather Nolan-Caskey, and staff from ILH for a demonstration of the equipment.

“We are just thrilled with the equipment that we have gotten,” Ford said. “We have a lot of equipment that is aging, and this really gives us a shot in the arm operationally.”

The new machine will serve the same role as existing CLA harvesters, and features some design differences and modern updates. The ILH-1000 uses a 10-foot cutting head to remove excess plant growth, storing up to 15,000 lbs. of material on its deck for offloading.

Like current CLA harvesters, it is driven by side-mounted paddle wheels and powered by a diesel engine. It features a stainless-steel hull, with remaining surfaces finished in heavy marine-grade topcoat.