Two Ottawa entrepreneurs say they've invented a zombie killer.

Or at least, they've come up with a machine that will purportedly slow the spread of a notorious, invasive seaweed that's been nicknamed the "zombie plant."

And the National Capital Commission appears ready to buy in.

Eurasian water milfoil has earned comparisons to the walking dead, largely for its ability to multiply even more quickly once it's cut into pieces.

It's not harmful to humans, but as the plant decomposes, it can kill fish by reducing oxygen levels in the water.

The weed also crowds out native plants, damaging the water quality of lakes and rivers, impacting recreational activity on those waterways, and affecting waterfront property values.

Rob Perrins and John Cooke came up with the Block-Aid LakeSaver to fight invasive Eurasian water milfoil. 1:06

How it works

However, mechanical engineer Rob Perrins and John Cooke, who runs a company which cleans up from natural and man-made disasters, say their new GPS-guided barge could halt the weed's spread.

The Block-Aid LakeSaver, as they've called it, spools out an industrial-sized roll of heavy brown burlap, which pulls the weed to the bottom of the lake, killing it.

In addition to a 650-kilogram roll of burlap, the boat carries sand, which gets pumped onto the fabric as it's unrolled.

The sand ensures the burlap sinks and stays in place, so it isn't disturbed by boat traffic.

Tests by ABV des 7, a non-profit environmental group in Gatineau, indicate the jute burlap cloth biodegrades in about three years.

Won't eradicate the plant

The pair's work began roughly six years ago when Perrins, a cottager with a passion for water-skiing, learned about the milfoil problem at the annual general meeting of the lake association on Lac Bernard in western Quebec.

"We love the water," Cooke said. "This was a passion for us."

The presentation was by ABV des 7 and suggested burlap would be an effective way to control the weed's spread.

The Block-Aid LakeSaver is designed to unroll 650 kilograms of biodegradable burlap cloth over the invasive milfoil, choking out the plant. (Stu Mills/CBC)

Since Perrins and Cooke began their work in 2015, they and their backers have invested about $900,000 into creating a prototype capable of laying a one-kilometre roll of burlap in water up to 10 metres deep.

"We're never going to eradicate [the plant] completely. What we're going to do is reduce the spread," said Perrins.

He added while getting rid of the weed is important, what's also needed is a plan for making sure milfoil doesn't come back.

Cooke said the LakeSaver is intended to focus on the area surrounding public boat launches, as well as shallow, high-traffic areas where motorboats inadvertently chop up the plant and contribute to its spread.

​NCC pilot project

The National Capital Commission (NCC) is midway through a pilot project at Lac Philippe, and now plans to move ahead with a project using the pair's technology.

Catherine Verreault, the NCC's manager of land and natural resources, said the plant was first found in Lac La Pêche and Lac Philippe in 2004. Last year, it was discovered in Meech Lake.

She said the working theory is that the milfoil came from a visitor's canoe, kayak, paddle or water craft.

This year, the NCC began working with Carleton University's Jesse Vermaire to study the effects of the plant on Lac Philippe's shoreline habitat.

Carleton University researcher Jesse Vermaire (right) is studying the effects of invasive milfoil in Lac Philippe. (Stu Mills/CBC)

He and his students have been surveying the popular Gatineau Park lake and taking water samples in order to check the overall health of the lake.

It will also create a baseline to test the effectiveness of a possible LakeSaver trial.

"[Milfoil] can have an impact on human use on the lake," said Vermaire. "It's not enjoyable to swim through, or canoe through, [and] it can also have an impact on the lake ecosystem, changing where fish are living in the lake."

Whether the NCC decides to carpet the lakebed adjacent to Lac Phillipe's popular beach areas in burlap will depend on the results of this study.

It would also need permits from Fisheries and Oceans Canada.