LAKE COUNTY — Boaters are seeing several bright red/orange buoys on Clear Lake. The balloon-type markers identify the presence of the invasive, aquatic weed hydrilla.
Boaters should be aware that mooring to the buoys could result in a fine of up to $1,000.
According to the California Harbor and Navigation Code Section 307: “Every person who moors any vessel to, or hangs on with a vessel to, or who willfully removes, damages, or destroys, any buoy or beacon, placed by competent authority in any navigable waters of this State, is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
Furthermore, Section 308 states: “Every person who moors any vessel of any kind, to any buoy or beacon placed in the waters of California by authority of the United States Coast Guard, or who in any manner hangs on to the same, with any vessel, or who willfully removes, damages, or destroys any such buoy or beacon, or any part thereof, or who cuts down, removes, damages, or destroys any beacon or beacons erected on land in this State by that authority, is, for every offense, guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment not exceeding six months.”
Sgt. Dennis Ostini, with the Lake County Sheriff”s Marine Patrol reported that no tickets have been issued for tying off to the markers. He added that boaters are allowed to tie off to the buoys only in the case of an emergency. “We always recommend to boaters to set an anchor when they break down on the lake so they don”t drift into shallow water and can”t be found in the tulles and such,” Sgt. Ostini said.
The markers have been placed on Clear Lake by the California Department of Agriculture, as part of its program to eradicate the weed. According Patrick Akers, supervising scientist for the hydrilla eradication program, as of the end of 2007, 72 spots of hydrilla were found. “We treat about 200 feet on either side of the area so that makes 33 treatment areas for a total of 245 acres,” Akers said. “The amount of hydrilla is much smaller, but because we treat a buffer zone it ends up being a bigger area.”
Akers said that hydrilla is present throughout the lake but a few “hot spots” have been identified. The hot spots causing the most concern are concentrated in the areas of Soda Bay Road and the State Park in Kelseyville. Two spots have been identified in the western area of the lake, he said.
The hydrilla eradication program continues according to an annual schedule. “It”s our rule to continue treating.” Akers said. “We have to knock the population down to zero plants. Then we treat for three more years without plants. Then we stop treating and monitor for three more years. We had it at zero plants for four years, but then we stopped treatment and they came back.”
According to Akers, it costs about $1000 per acre per year to treat the problem areas with herbicide. “We”re probably getting close to $300,000 per year for herbicide and about $100,000 per year for personnel,” Ackers said, adding that the California Department of Food and Agriculture funds the program with assistance from the Department of Boating and Waterways and the Department of Water Resources.
Akers said that the area is first treated with a copper-based herbicide followed by a treatment of Sonar, in which the active ingredient is fluridone. Akers described Sonar as being a chemical with low toxicity and high selectivity for hydrilla. “We can actually kill the hydrilla without touching anything else,” he explained.
Akers further reported that a majority of the effort exerted in the eradication program consists of survey work. Generally, the plants can be found anywhere as far out as 600 feet from shore. With Clear Lake”s 100-mile shore line, he said that leaves the department with a search area of 11 square miles. Akers said that hydrilla searches are conducted about nine times per season.
Akers said it”s always a guess as to how the weed gets into California lakes. “We”re 99.5 percent sure people brought it into Clear Lake,” he said. The weed can be brought in on boat trailers, shipments of fish and the bulbs of water lilies are often infested with hydrilla, Akers said.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
