Water hyacinth, giant salvinia, and other invasive plants can close off a canal in a season. We spray marsh, canals, and rights-of-way from our airboats, which reach vegetation that truck sprayers and conventional boats can't get to.
We work for landowners, camps, land managers, and pipeline operators across South Louisiana. We look at what is growing on your water, put a treatment plan together, and can set up seasonal maintenance so the water stays open year to year.
Why Melancon Marine
Why people call us
The airboat reaches the problem
Most vegetation problems on this coast sit where regular equipment can't go: mid-canal mats, marsh interiors, and soft rights-of-way. The airboat puts the spray rig directly over the growth instead of treating whatever can be reached from a bank.
Treatment matched to the plant
Hyacinth, salvinia, alligator weed, cattail, and woody brush each call for different treatment and timing. We identify what's actually growing on your water and match the plan to it instead of blanket-spraying.
Timed to the growing season
Aquatic vegetation treats best at certain points in the growing season, and timing has a lot to do with results. We schedule treatments when they'll do the most good, and we offer recurring maintenance so the canal stays open next year.
Spraying and digging, both in house
Sometimes the growth has gone past spraying: the canal has silted in behind it or the bank is failing under it. We own the long-reach excavators and barges for that work too, so we can handle both.
The Scope
What this service covers
Canal & waterway spraying
Floating and emergent vegetation treated to keep channels open and draining.
Marsh treatment
Invasive growth controlled across open marsh and pond systems.
Right-of-way corridors
Pipeline and utility ROW vegetation managed by airboat access.
Pond & lease management
Camps, hunting leases, and private waters kept open and healthy.
Invasive species control
Water hyacinth, giant salvinia, and other invaders knocked back on schedule.
Maintenance programs
Recurring seasonal treatment that keeps treated water open.
How It Works
How a job goes
01
Look at the growth
We identify the species, the coverage, and how the water is used.
02
Plan the treatment
Product approach, timing, and passes matched to the target and season.
03
Run the spray
The airboat works the water systematically, treating growth where it stands.
04
Follow up
We check the knockdown and schedule maintenance before regrowth takes over.
On the Job
Our equipment on the job
Service Area
Airboat spraying across South Louisiana: Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish canal systems, the Barataria Basin marshes, and private and commercial waters statewide.
Common Questions
Common questions
What is airboat herbicide spraying?
It's aquatic vegetation control applied from an airboat. The boat carries the spray rig across marsh and shallow water that no truck or regular boat can cross, so the treatment lands directly on the growth. It's the standard way to keep Louisiana canals, marsh, and rights-of-way open.
What vegetation do you treat?
Common targets in South Louisiana are water hyacinth, giant salvinia, alligator weed, duckweed, cattail, and mixed growth along banks and rights-of-way. We identify what's on your water first, because the plant decides the treatment plan.
When is the best time to spray marsh or canal vegetation?
Most aquatic vegetation treats best during the active growing season, and the right window depends on the species and the water conditions. Call and describe what's growing and we'll tell you when treatment makes sense for your property.
How much does canal or marsh spraying cost?
Pricing follows the acreage or canal length, how dense the growth is, access distance, and whether you want one treatment or a seasonal program. Call (985) 691-4591 and describe the water. We can usually give you a realistic range from that conversation.
Do you spray private canals, ponds, and hunting leases?
Yes. Private landowners, camps, and lease managers are a big part of this work, along with pipeline operators and commercial land managers.
Why not just dig the vegetation out instead of spraying?
Sometimes digging is the right call, and we own the excavators to do it. Spraying controls growth at a lower cost and can be repeated on a schedule. Mechanical removal handles what spraying can't, like accumulated silt. We offer both, so we'll look at the water and tell you which one it actually needs.
Larose, Louisiana
Put the fleet to work
Call (985) 691-4591 for rates, availability, and scheduling.