2026 DASH Unit Operations Plan
Please consider volunteering some time this summer to assist with the Moshawquit Lake Diver Assisted Suction Harvest (DASH) Unit that is working to keep Moshawquit Lake healthy by targeting the battle against Curley Leaf Pondweed and Eurasian Water-Milfoil.
Curley-Leaf Pondweed, (CLP) is a submersed aquatic plant CLP typically reproduces via turions (i.e., vegetative propagules), generally formed in late spring and early summer. The plant naturally dies back soon after turion formation, and the turions remain dormant in the sediment during the remainder of the summer and early fall. When water temperatures cool, the turions start to grow. While a small number of turions may germinate in the fall, the majority of the turions will germinate the following spring. CLP proliferates once water temperatures reach 50⁰F.
Eurasian water-milfoil, (EWM) usually extends 3 to 10 feet but can reach as much as 33 feet in length. The stems are reddish-brown to whitish-pink. It forms dense mats on the surface of water bodies. This invasive species is able to form large, floating mats of vegetation on the surface of water bodies that prevents light from penetrating down to reach native aquatic plants and impedes water traffic. Eurasian Water-Milfoil is winter-hardy making it able to overwinter in frozen lakes. This is why it must be controlled through chemical shock treatments, diver-assisted suction harvesting, and prevention at waterway entrance points (watercraft launched onto carrying the species).
Eurasian watermilfoil has been identified in nearly 400 of the 15,000 Wisconsin Lakes. Moshawquit Lake is one of those 400 lakes where it has been identified.
2026 DASH Unit Operations Plan
The DASH Unit for Moshawquit Lake will operate on Mondays and Fridays early in the season to mitigate CLP and later to mitigate EWM. We need volunteers to operate the unit. We will train volunteers to ensure they are comfortable with their roles.
We will operate the DASH unit on Mondays and Fridays from May 15 to August 28 with two half-day shifts each day from 8 am to noon and 1 pm to 5 pm. We will stop operations before the final date if the work is complete.
Shift Start Locations and Lunch
The morning shift will always start at the cottage where the DASH unit is stored. This location is still to be determined for the 2026 season. The afternoon shift will also start there unless the morning shift captain notifies the afternoon volunteers that the afternoon shift will start at the cottage where the morning shift crew has lunch. This can happen when the morning shift captain also works in the afternoon.
The morning shift DASH unit captain arranges lunch for the group at his or her cottage.
Roles
Diver (1 person for each shift):
- These individuals are weed control divers, SCUBA-certified. They are paid individuals who have completed a special state-approved course, dive and remove each individual plant by hand.
- The process is tedious, but if any fragment of the plant is left in the water, a new plant can be started.
DASH Unit Boat Captain (1 person for each shift):
- The DASH unit boat captain will pilot the DASH unit to the locations in the lake that will be worked on that shift. The captain and the topside worker will assemble and start-up the DASH unit equipment and help the diver get ready to dive. Once the diver is in the water and removing plants under the water, the captain and topside worker will monitor the diver, collect the harvested weeds into bags, stack the filled bags on the DASH unit, and use nets to assist the kayakers to remove any plant fragments that are found floating.
- The boat captain and topside worker will shutdown the DASH unit equipment as necessary when the boat is repositioned during the day, when the filled bags are dropped off at the boat landing at noon and at the end of the day.
- At the end of each shift, the captain and topside worker will securely stow the DASH unit equipment on the boat and secure the boat to the dock where it is stored.
- At the end of each shift, the captain shall record the following information in the logbook stored on the DASH unit: volunteer names, start time, finish time, GPS grid points worked, number of bags collected and target invasive species (CLP or EWM). Also, if possible, estimate the % of the weeds collected that are the target invasive species and identify other types of weeds collected. Please take a picture of the logbook entry and text it to Gary Sturtevant at 847-253-6938.
- At the end of the day, the captain or topside worker should check the outboard motor and compressor gas tanks and ensure that there is enough gas to run the DASH unit on the next day that it will be used. If more gas is needed, the captain or the topside worker will take the can to the gas station and fill it up. The outboard motor uses no-ethanol premium gas mixed with 2 cycle engine oil at a 50:1 ratio (16 oz. of oil for 6 gallons of gasoline). The compressor engine uses regular 87 octane gasoline. Take a picture of the gas receipt and send it to Glen Weyenberg (MLA Treasurer) at geynberg@gmail.com and he will send you a check.
Topside (1 person each shift):
- The topside worker will assist the boat captain as described above.
Kayakers (1 person for each shift for EWM mitigation only – not required for CLP mitigation):
- The kayaker will paddle around the DASH unit to collect any floating debris. Hand scooping and using a net works well.
- Then placing the weeds into bags to hand to the volunteer on the pontoon.
- A great way to enjoy the water and pitch in to keep Moshawquit looking great!
Weed Disposal (1 person at noon and 1 person at the end of the day):
- The Weed Disposal volunteer will retrieve the 4’x8’ trailer from Mark Emerick’s place, take it to the boat landing, put the bags into the trailer, and haul it to the Shawano dump.
- The volunteer will drop the bags at the dump and then return the trailer to Mark Emerick’s place.
Please Take Pictures of the DASH Unit Operations
We encourage all DASH unit volunteers to take pictures of the crew during the day and either post them to the Moshawquit Lake Facebook page or send them to Lynn Murphy at 920-412-3902 and she will post them for you.
PLEASE, CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER.
Schedule Changes or Questions
If your schedule changes or if you have questions, please call or text Gary Sturtevant at 847-253-6938 or by email at gcsturtevant@comcast.net
Thank You,
The Moshawquit Lake Association
Moshawquit Lake Association 