LAKE COUNTY — High lake levels plus ultra clear water has resulted in an explosion of aquatic weeds in Clear Lake. This is especially true in the north end of the lake near Lakeport. The weeds have formed large thick mats which have prevented many of the lakeside residents from using their boats.
Carolyn Ruttan of the county”s Water Resources Department, said that she has been receiving numerous complaints of weeds around homeowners docks. She said the type of weeds presently causing most of the trouble are Sago Pondweed. According to Ruttan, the good news is that this particular species of aquatic weed has run its life course and are in process of dying. The dead plants are floating to the surface and have formed the thick mats. Ruttan said that most of the Sago plants should start to decompose and sink to the bottom within the next three weeks. But there are several other species of plants that will more than likely cause problems throughout the summer. The species of primary concern is Eurasian milfoil, coontail and water primrose. Milfoil is a plant similar to hydrilla. It forms very dense mats of vegetation on the surface of the water. These mats interfere with recreational activities such as swimming, fishing, water skiing and boating. Ruttan said that she has seen more milfoil this year than any other year in the past. That, along with coontail and water primrose, could play havoc with water activities on the lake.
The county does have an aquatic weed control plan in place. Lakeside homeowners that want to clear the weeds from around their docks can hire a commercial pesticide company to spray around their docks. Water Resources Department has a list of licensed companies that are authorized to operate on Clear Lake. Ruttan said the cost to spray around a typical dock is about $1,000. The homeowner must first obtain a permit from the county and the cost is $100. The permit is good for the entire weed growing season which runs from June until November. In most cases the pesticide contractor will obtain the required permits in the homeowners name.
Before applying the herbicide the contractor must take and record the water temperature, dissolved oxygen levels (DO) and check the wind speed. If the water temperature is higher that 80 degrees at a depth of 12 inches or the wind speed is greater than 4 mph, or the DO reading is less than 5 parts per million no spraying can be done. The contractor can also treat no more than one-third of the area to be sprayed at one time. The spraying area is also limited to 300 feet or less from the shoreline. The type of herbicide must also be approved by the federal government. Ruttan stressed that homeowners should not attempt to do spraying themselves as it is against the law and can result in stiff fines.
According to Ruttan, homeowners can mechanically remove floating mats of weeds from around their docks but they must also first get a permit. The permit cost for removing the weeds is $27. Permits to mechanically remove the weeds will only be given for areas that are free from hydrilla. Ruttan said she will instruct homeowners on how to dispose of the weeds.
According to Water Resources Director Scott De Leon, the county will be paying for spraying boat lanes out to the open water at the public boat ramps. Water Resources can be reached at 263-2344.
