ABSTRACT
Mechanical removal of floating aquatic weeds from the Chagres River, main tributary of the Panama Canal, has been a successful operation. After heavy rains, huge islands of water hyacinth and other obnoxious aquatic plants float down the Chagres River and are trapped by a log boom. When the boom is loaded, one end is disconnected from the bank and powerful launches pull the free end upstream and across the river. Weeds caught on the boom are pushed into a prepared basin in which a permanently installed Sauerman Slackline operates. The specifically designed bucket picks up as much as 2 tons of weeds and dumps them high on the bank where they are dried and burned. Under current situations, open burning may eventually be prohibited.
