Milfoil in Truckee River being eliminated
The Tahoe Resource Conservation District is taking the proven approach of killing Eurasian watermilfoil in Emerald Bay to a pilot project on the Truckee River to control the aquatic invasive plant.
The week has been in Lake Tahoe since the late 1980s and likely entered the Truckee River following the overflow of the dam in 1997.
In 2010, approximately 6 acres of aquatic invasive plants covered the near shore near Vikingsholm. Bottom barriers killed the plants by eliminating light, along with the use of diver-assisted suction removal. After four years, Emerald Bay is free of aquatic invasive plants.
TRCD is going to use both methods on the Truckee River from the lakeside of the Tahoe City Dam downstream to Alpine Meadows Road.
In 2014, 10,000 square feet of benthic bottom barriers were laid lake-ward of the Tahoe City Dam. In 2015, less than 20 plants have been detected at this site and subsequently removed. Also in 2014, 427 cubic feet of invasive plants were removed downstream from the dam using diver-assisted suction removal.
This month TRCD is working with A.C.E. Diving to install bottom barriers in the river system below the dam. While bottom barriers have been successful in open water lake environments, using them within a river system will be a new.
Tahoe RCD anticipates the need to continue efforts to control aquatic plants in the Truckee River for several years to come as the population is dense in some locations and environmental conditions such as water levels will continue to fluctuate.
I spent two and a half hours in lower Taylor Creek today doing some surveying of beaver habitat for The Sierra Wildlife Coalition and the channels below the boardwalk and stream profile are becoming choked with milfoil.
If these weed removal techniques worked 100% in Emerald Bay, then the same can be done at the Tahoe Keys. In general, Keys property owners own out to the center of the adjoining water channel, they are just going to have to arrange and pay for bottom barriers and suction divers on their properties including under their boat docks. Pouring weed killer into the Keys channels as the Keys has proposed is the easy, dangerous, cheap, and unacceptable way to eliminate their weeds.
Killing milfoil. Sounds like putting bottom barriers and diver assisted suction removal is the best way to go. Sure sounds a lot better than pouring poisonous chemicals into the water.
I wish the best for Tahoe Resource Conservation District for trying a safe alternative to poisoning our streams and lakes.
Hats off to tHe TRCD, Brsvo!!! OLS
If or when weed killer comes into play at the keys, the sacrifice of doing such a dangerous gamble should be the closing off of the marina and west keys lake entrances. To contain this strange concept weed poison from getting out into the lake. It may be a twisted perk to rid of all the unnative invasive fish living in the keys.
Just a huge man made disaster like none other what has happened to this lake. All in the name of prime real estate thats killing Lake Tahoe. Very sad
Ok gang Google solarbee, and read on , they are effective and chemical free ,AND work.Ive written multiple times about these amazing units but they are never mentioned in any news reports or as a viable means of eradicating millfoil
They were demonstrated here years ago by the solarbee Co but tkpoa did not buy in to it.
Kiwi
As I said, all in the name of prime real estate thats killing Lake Tahoe, Thank you tkpoa, sink in your filthy polluted riddled swamp water and welcome!
The Keys are built and they are not going anywhere. It is time to get past it and move on.
I bet local2 your still upset about missing out on your prom also. It is time to work on the next project and go forward.
Walter: you probably own a second vacation home in the keys and live in SF. you’re opinion doesn’t count bub.