Invasive/Native Weed Drone Survey

Overview

What problem does this solve for our lake?

• Aquatic plant management is priced by area, which means the map is the budget. Lakes that treat without one either over-treat — paying for acres that did not need it and killing native plants that were holding the sediment down — or under-treat and watch the bed return.
• An aerial survey maps the beds, distinguishes surface-visible invasive growth from native plant communities, and gives an applicator a target rather than an estimate. Flown again after treatment, it is also the only affordable way to prove whether the treatment worked.
• Most of the Toolbox is deliberately DIY — you collect the sample, you mount the sensor, and you keep the cost down by doing the easy part yourself. Flying a survey is where that stops being true.
• Most lake owners cannot fly a survey mission themselves, and a self-serve checkout that asks them to draw a polygon and enter a card number is a good way for both of us to get it wrong. Acreage alone does not price a job. Flight conditions, shoreline complexity, permissions, water clarity, time of season, and what you actually want out of the data all move the number, sometimes by a multiple.
• So we price it the way it should be priced: talk first, quote second.

What's included?

• A 30-minute scheduled call with a Lake Pulse drone specialist
• A working scope for your survey — area, objectives, season, and what the deliverables should be
• A written quote for the survey itself, following the call
• Guidance on timing, which matters more here than on any other survey — see Pro Tips
• If you proceed: an FAA Part 107 certified remote pilot flying an FAA-registered drone, arranged and paid by Lake Pulse, so you deal with one party rather than sourcing an operator yourself
• Deliverables loaded into your lake's portal with Boathouse interpretation, not a folder of raw imagery

What's not included

• The survey. This listing is the scoping call only — the flight is quoted after it.
• A price you can predict from acreage alone. That is precisely why the call exists.
• Species-level identification of everything present. Aerial imagery identifies beds and surface-visible growth; confirming a species underwater needs a sample, and the Aquatic Plant ID service handles that.
• Pilot sourcing on your side. Lake Pulse contracts and pays the operator.
• Permits or permissions where your state, lake district, or a marina requires them, though the specialist will tell you what applies
• Guaranteed flight dates. Weather and season decide.

Requirements

• Which invasives you suspect, if you know, and any prior treatment history — both change what the specialist looks for
• A rough idea of what you want to learn. You do not need technical specifics — that is the specialist's job — but "we think the north bay is filling in" is a much better starting point than "we want a drone survey."
• A Plus, Lake Admin, or PRO subscription to have the resulting deliverables loaded into your Lake Pulse account
• Book the call. This listing is a scheduled conversation with the Lake Pulse Boathouse, not a purchase of the survey itself.