Two years ago, the Bowley’s Quarters native reached out to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and learned about the laws regarding SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation) removal. “I knew I had to come up with a safe and effective way to remove (it),” he says. He built a boat with help from friend Steve Gerry to cut seaweed and haul it.
“I started off by researching companies that sold seaweed cutters. I finally found one that would work with my idea,” Wood says. “These cutters can go up to seven feet deep. I have two which are four feet wide, so I can cut eight feet wide with every pass. Once the seaweed is cut, a little farther back on the boat is the conveyor belt, custom built by me. (It) picks up all the seaweed funneled to it by the boat’s pontoons. After that we take the seaweed to a local farm in Middle River that uses it for fertilizer.”
The invasive hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), an invasive plant common in freshwater and some brackish tributaries, is the primary seaweed the company removes.
Wood’s Seaweed Solutions Removal runs out of Middle River up to Chesapeake City, including the Elk River, and as far south as the South River, on both shores. When potential customers call, he comes out and gives a free estimate.
“Our goal is not to remove all the seaweed in the Bay,” he says. “It’s to provide a clear path for customers’ boats to prevent (expensive) engine failure and to clear swimming areas in front of homes.”
Wood’s full-time job is as a state inspector for vehicles at Jim Barbey Auto in White Marsh. His seaweed removal company is an evening and weekend gig from June to October. Eventually, he hopes to run the business full time. In the meantime, he’s building a new and better boat.
To learn more, call (410) 870-5979 or visit Facebook.com/SeaweedSolutions-Removal.
Thursday, March 29, 2018 - 09:22
UPDATE: To read input from the MD DNR and South Riverkeeper regarding the removal of SAV, click here.
Having owned a boat since the age of seven, Justin Wood says, “I have come in contact with seaweed far too often. I always dreamed of what could be done about it without harming the environment.”
Two years ago, the Bowley’s Quarters native reached out to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and learned about the laws regarding SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation) removal. “I knew I had to come up with a safe and effective way to remove (it),” he says. He built a boat with help from friend Steve Gerry to cut seaweed and haul it.
“I started off by researching companies that sold seaweed cutters. I finally found one that would work with my idea,” Wood says. “These cutters can go up to seven feet deep. I have two which are four feet wide, so I can cut eight feet wide with every pass. Once the seaweed is cut, a little farther back on the boat is the conveyor belt, custom built by me. (It) picks up all the seaweed funneled to it by the boat’s pontoons. After that we take the seaweed to a local farm in Middle River that uses it for fertilizer.”
The invasive hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), an invasive plant common in freshwater and some brackish tributaries, is the primary seaweed the company removes.
Wood’s Seaweed Solutions Removal runs out of Middle River up to Chesapeake City, including the Elk River, and as far south as the South River, on both shores. When potential customers call, he comes out and gives a free estimate.
“Our goal is not to remove all the seaweed in the Bay,” he says. “It’s to provide a clear path for customers’ boats to prevent (expensive) engine failure and to clear swimming areas in front of homes.”
Wood’s full-time job is as a state inspector for vehicles at Jim Barbey Auto in White Marsh. His seaweed removal company is an evening and weekend gig from June to October. Eventually, he hopes to run the business full time. In the meantime, he’s building a new and better boat.
To learn more, call (410) 870-5979 or visit Facebook.com/SeaweedSolutions-Removal.
Two years ago, the Bowley’s Quarters native reached out to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and learned about the laws regarding SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation) removal. “I knew I had to come up with a safe and effective way to remove (it),” he says. He built a boat with help from friend Steve Gerry to cut seaweed and haul it.
“I started off by researching companies that sold seaweed cutters. I finally found one that would work with my idea,” Wood says. “These cutters can go up to seven feet deep. I have two which are four feet wide, so I can cut eight feet wide with every pass. Once the seaweed is cut, a little farther back on the boat is the conveyor belt, custom built by me. (It) picks up all the seaweed funneled to it by the boat’s pontoons. After that we take the seaweed to a local farm in Middle River that uses it for fertilizer.”
The invasive hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), an invasive plant common in freshwater and some brackish tributaries, is the primary seaweed the company removes.
Wood’s Seaweed Solutions Removal runs out of Middle River up to Chesapeake City, including the Elk River, and as far south as the South River, on both shores. When potential customers call, he comes out and gives a free estimate.
“Our goal is not to remove all the seaweed in the Bay,” he says. “It’s to provide a clear path for customers’ boats to prevent (expensive) engine failure and to clear swimming areas in front of homes.”
Wood’s full-time job is as a state inspector for vehicles at Jim Barbey Auto in White Marsh. His seaweed removal company is an evening and weekend gig from June to October. Eventually, he hopes to run the business full time. In the meantime, he’s building a new and better boat.
To learn more, call (410) 870-5979 or visit Facebook.com/SeaweedSolutions-Removal.