Weedy Dartmouth lakes need mower: councillor

A Dartmouth, N.S., councillor wants to mow down the weed problem in busy Lake Banook.

Coun. Darren Fisher suggests using a special underwater mower to get rid of the pesky weeds interfering with paddling and other activities on the Dartmouth lake.

Such devices exist in the United States, he said.

"I'm leaning towards the idea of possibly getting the mower and potentially having that done two or three times a season or just before major races," Fisher told CBC News. "It's hard to say."

Fisher said using a herbicide would be a permanent solution, but he doesn't like the idea and doubts it would be considered.

Three different types of weeds clutter the waters of Lake Banook, Lake MicMac and Penhorn Lake. It's unclear how the weeds got there, but they are indigenous to Nova Scotia.

Rower Susan Duwann said the weeds in Banook are worse this summer. She was training one morning when she ran into them.

"We were doing the power part," Duwann said. "I just took two strokes in and hit the weeds and I was over. That was it. I didn't have a chance to recover."

Fisher and Coun. Gloria McCluskey will hold a public meeting to discuss the weed problem Thursday at the MicMac Aquatic Club.