Just had our boat lift put in and the guys said we should use solar salt to remove some of the weeds and muck around our shoreline. It’s a real issue to putting in the boat. What’s the best way to deal with it. I’ve seen the Muck Mat but don’t know if it would support a lift. Don’t want to go crazy and destroy all the weeds but I would like a 30′ strip or so of the 120′ shoreline we own usable and be able to walk in the water.
I would be carefull with what you do if you don’t have a DNR permit. Not sure what type of weeds your trying to get rid of, but those wetlands violations can get spendy.
DT
We have alot of weeds and muck on our shoreline too. We cut our weeds with one these weed cutters. When you retrieve them, you pull the weeds off. Get rid of them on shore or your neighbors will be pissed if they drift over to their property. They do a good job of controlling the weeds around the dock, but it is an ongoing battle. The weeds grow fast. As for the muck, it seems like the more activity you have on your shoreline, the less mucky it is. Where the kids swim along the shoreline, it is actually sandy. You just need to keep stirring up the muck until it disapates. A garden rake would work for this.
Wow, great advise there. What lake is it and who put your lift in? DNR rules are a 15′ wide path out to open water or less than 2500 sq/ft or 50 ft along your shore, you dont need a permit.
Remember that the lake is public waters and that when you remove veg you are removing habitat.
I wouldnt put anything in the water. Do you know how that salt will affect the water quality of the lake?
I obviously understand there will be impact if salt is added. However, we aren’t talking about a truck load. But right now my boat lift is too heavy and sinks into the muck. Our property is where the weeds and muck start. I would like to put something (river rock, other rock, etc) as a base so I can have my lift and dock function properly. I don’t need an entire swimming resort. I’ve seen the mats you can lay down. Are those legal? The last place I would ask is the DNR.
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Is a DNR permit required to remove aquatic vegetation?
Any control of emergent vegetation, such as cattails, and the use of pesticides in public waters does require a DNR aquatic plant management permit. Aquatic plants such as cattail, bulrush, water lilies, and other aquatic vegetation are important because they reduce wave action (thereby reducing the threat of shoreline erosion), provide fish and wildlife habitat, buffer shorelines from pollutants, and provide other environmental benefits. DNR aquatic plant management permits are issued through the DNR Regional Fisheries Offices. The rules governing the destruction of aquatic vegetation are found in Minnesota Rules – Chapter 6280.
For further information:
See the DNR Waters information sheet titled Shoreline Alterations: Lakescaping (1.1 Mb).
Contact your DNR Regional or Area Fisheries Office.
Explore A guide to aquatic plants: identification and management to learn the importance of aquatic vegetation to Minnesota lakes, get an easy-to-use picture key to some of the common aquatic plants, and find out about regulations and methods of control.
Get the DNR publication Lakescaping For Wildlife and Water Quality . This is an excellent source of information on the environmental benefits of aquatic vegetation. It is available at Minnesota’s Bookstore.
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The last place I would ask is the DNR.
Since they’d be the ones fining you, they are the first place I would ask!
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The last place I would ask is the DNR.
Since they’d be the ones fining you, they are the first place I would ask!
Come on Ralph, you don’t go asking the cops what is the best liquor store to hold up before you do it.
Yes, that was tongue-in-cheek.
Putting sand or rock in the water is most likely illegal. My dock wheels sink in the muck throughout the summer too. It is probably 8 feet deep at the end of my dock. I had to replace my dock poles this spring because of the stress on the post when pulling it out. I don’t think there is much you can do about the muck in that deep of water. To prevent the poles from bending in the future, I ran 2 chains from the axel back up to the dock frame to releive the stress when pulling it out. As for your lift, it is going to sink in the muck too. You just need to find a way to lift up on it when you pull it out. Good wheel kits for your dock and lift will also help. They aren’t cheap though.
why not just put floats under your dock and just used the poles to stabilize?
or you can use someething that can distribute the weight so that it doesn’t sink but can still hold the load. like a saucer or sort. you still use a pole to keep the overall dock in place but having the saucer will allow the structure not to move as much.
Does anyone think putting large plywood sheets under each leg would work? The dock isn’t so much of an issue, it’s more the pontoon lift.
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Does anyone think putting large plywood sheets under each leg would work? The dock isn’t so much of an issue, it’s more the pontoon lift.
I think the plywood would fall apart in short order if submerged.
Here is something to look at. http://www.lakebottomblanket.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=63
Hugoalie,
We use an electric winch to pull our docks and lifts out each fall. My neighbor (Buck Slayer) broke the front legs off his brand new lift the first year we pulled it out because they had sunk in the muck and dug into the sand when they were being pulled. 
Before putting it back in the next spring, he bolted 2 green treated 2″X10″ boards under the legs. They act like skis and prevent it from sinking in the muck. We haven’t had an issue since. They add some additional weight but haven’t deteriated at all in over 5 years.
Get your hands on 2 tractor inner tubes, as large as you can. Inflate them under the cross bars of the lift. It is amazing how much weight they take off and help lift it out of the muck. I know they make a commercial product similar to this, but the tube works great and is easy to store.
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why not just put floats under your dock and just used the poles to stabilize?
I’ve just got a commercial rollin Daka brand dock. It has an 8X8 platform at the end. I’m guessing the cost of adding decent floats would not be cheap. I replaced my poles with heavier ones and added 2 chains to prevent as much stress when pulling it out. I’m pretty confident now it won’t happen again. It is amazing at how deep that muck gets. By the end of the summer, the entire axel is burried (about 12 inches).
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Hugoalie,
We use an electric winch to pull our docks and lifts out each fall. My neighbor (Buck Slayer) broke the front legs off his brand new lift the first year we pulled it out because they had sunk in the muck and dug into the sand when they were being pulled.Before putting it back in the next spring, he bolted 2 green treated 2″X10″ boards under the legs. They act like skis and prevent it from sinking in the muck. We haven’t had an issue since. They add some additional weight but haven’t deteriated at all in over 5 years.
They were only 10″ long and helped? Interesting. I might try something like that. Thanks for the suggestion.
I assume he meant 10″ wide.
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I assume he meant 10″ wide.
Yep…. I work in an office…. 
Yep, I meant 10″ wide. They have to be long enough to run from the front to back legs on both sides. They act like skis. They have worked really well for him.
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