Removing Vegetation

Removing Vegetation from Lakefront Properties – From Muck Mats to Weed Rollers – What’s Allowed and What Needs a Permit?

By Alysson Oliger, Division of Water

One concern of lakefront property owners is unwanted vegetation in front of their property. Many see vegetation in the lake and equate it to weeds in their garden that need to be removed. However, most natural lakes contain some vegetation adjacent to the shoreline. This vegetation is natural and important to overall lake health. Those “weeds” take up excess nutrients, stabilize the lakebed, and provide a buffer to the effects of wave action. Aquatic vegetation helps to prevent algae blooms, minimizes bank erosion, and provides food and habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms. Before removing vegetation, consider the benefit the plants provide and whether it’s necessary to remove them.

While vegetation can be beneficial to lake health, the DNR understands the desire to remove nuisance, exotic, or invasive vegetation. There are many methods for removal, some of which can be done without a permit, some that require prior approval, and some that are not recommended.

Muck Mats:

One question staff have been asked recently is whether a muck mat or lake mat can be used to control vegetation. The Lake Preservation Act (IC 14-26-2) requires a permit from the DNR Division of Water for any structure to be placed in a public freshwater lake. Therefore, structures such as muck mats or lake mats require a permit from the DNR Division of Water. However, as part of the review of a permit application, the department must consider a project’s impacts to the shoreline, water line, or bed of the public freshwater lake as well as impacts to fish, wildlife, and botanical resources, among other considerations. Due to the nature of these products, the impacts to fish, wildlife, and botanical resources are significant. Specifically, these products physically prevent plants from growing and block sunlight from allowing future vegetation to grow as well. These products can remove habitat for freshwater mussels and aquatic macroinvertebrates, which are important for fish consumption and overall water quality. For these reasons, while muck mats require a permit from the DNR Division of Water, it is likely that a permit application for a lake mat or muck mat would be denied. The department recommends a less detrimental method for removal of aquatic vegetation.

Weed Rollers:

Mechanical weed rollers are another method that staff are often asked about. Weed rollers work by disturbing the lakebed to remove aquatic vegetation. This method of removing aquatic vegetation has temporary impacts to fish, wildlife, and botanical resources, but can be used without a permit if the exemption criteria under IC 14-22-9-10 and 312 IAC 9-10-3 are met. See the Aquatic Vegetation Control Permit section below for details.

Hand-held Tools:

Removing vegetation by hand or with hand-held tools is a less detrimental method for removing aquatic vegetation. Using hand-held tools allows property owners to target unwanted plant species while allowing other species to remain. This is the preferred way to remove vegetation as it has the smallest impact to fish, wildlife, and botanical resources when compared to other methods. Additionally, removal by hand or with hand-held tools can be done without a permit if the exemption criteria under IC 14-22-9-10 and 312 IAC 9-10-3 are met. See the Aquatic Vegetation Control Permit section below for details.

Aquatic Vegetation Control Permit:

The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife has jurisdiction over aquatic vegetation removal projects. An Aquatic Vegetation Control Permit is required unless a project meets a permit exemption outlined in IC 14-22-9-10 and 312 IAC 9-10-3. The permit exemption for individual property owners with lake frontage allows for the removal of vegetation along no more than 25 feet parallel to the shoreline provided that the removal is in water no more than 6 feet deep and if the overall area of vegetation removal does not exceed 625 square feet in one contiguous area. Note that if the property already has an open area, any vegetation control under this exemption must include and be adjacent to the existing opening. See the graphic below for more information on the permitting exemption.

Other considerations:

This article is intended to provide advice for individual property owners who have questions about vegetation in front of their lakefront property. The rules explained in this article are specific to vegetation removal on public freshwater lakes, which are generally glacial lakes found in the northern third of the state. A list of public freshwater lakes can be found in the Natural Resources Commission Non-rule Policy Document titled “Public Freshwater Lake List”, which can be found at IN.gov/nrc/2375.htm.

The Lake Preservation Act (IC 14-26-2) requires prior approval from the DNR Division of Water for shoreline alterations such as seawalls, underwater beaches, and other projects, including activities that would alter the lakebed. If you are planning a project in or along the shoreline of a public freshwater lake, you can find a link to the application form as well as a link to a Permit Application Assistance Manual on the DNR Division of Water’s website at dnr.IN.gov/water/2455.htm. If you have an unusual project and aren’t sure whether a permit is required, you can use the Waterway Inquiry Request tool at waterways.IN.gov to submit a request to both the DNR Division of Water and the wetland section at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). After submitting a Waterway Inquiry Request, you will receive an email within two weeks that provides permitting information from both DNR and IDEM. Please note that you should also check with other state, local, and/or federal agencies to see if other permits are required.

Additional Information and Resources for Division of Water jurisdiction:

Additional Information and Resources for Aquatic Vegetation Control Permits from the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife:

This information is true to the best of our knowledge as of 11/24/2024. For the Most current information, individuals should contact and obtain the information via the Indiana Department of Natural Resources