While aquatic plants have always existed as a necessary and desirable part of clean and usable water, the continuing and almost universal use of phosphate-based fertilizers and household detergents has created explosive aquatic plant growth by adding significantly to naturally occurring nutrient levels in the water column. Because of widespread public concern about the use of herbicides to control aquatic plants, mechanical harvesting has now achieved wide acceptance as a preferred alternative to chemical control.

It is environmentally safe and economical, it adds nothing to the water column and, by removing nutrient-absorbing plants, it reduces and controls nutrient build-up in the bottom sediment.