LAKEPORT — Scott De Leon, Lake County Water Resources Department Director, made a presentation to the Lakeport City Council Tuesday night on the status of the department.
The Lake County Water Resources Department was created from the Water Resources Division of the Lake County Public Works Department in May.
The department was a division of the Lake County Public Works for 10 years.
The Lake County Water Resources Department is made up of two divisions: the Lakebed Management and the Watershed Protection District, formerly known as the Lake County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.
The Lakebed Management is in charge of three main issues: controlling weeds, algae and quagga mussels in Clear Lake.
Protecting the lake from quagga mussels is the department”s top priority, De Leon said.
“This county needs to understand that if the (quagga) mussel gets into the lake, our quality of life will be devastated.” De Leon said during his presentation to the City Council.
There is no known eradication process of the quagga mussel.
The department has set up screening locations around the lake for boats to be checked for quagga mussels as a way of protecting the lake from the mussel.
“I can”t stress enough the importance of getting the quagga mussel out of the lake.” De Leon said during his presentation to the council.
De Leon also reported on the department”s efforts to control weeds in Clear Lake.
The process used for weed control, De Leon said, is by applying herbicide to the weed under the lake.
By applying the herbicide directly on the weeds underwater instead of over the water, De Leon said, half of the herbicide is used.
“The technique really worked.” he said.
During the presentation, De Leon showed a seven-picture slide show of the current algae problem.
The pictures showed a growing algae problem taking place in Clearlake at the Sunset Fishing Resort on Lakeshore Drive.
De Leon discussed the problems at hand with algae in Clear Lake and on the shores of the lake.
The department asks property owners to spray down the algae growing on their property with water to control the growth of the algae.
An unnamed person wants to buy the algae in Clear Lake for bio fuel, though mechanical harvesting may worsen the algae problem, De Leon said.
City Manager, Margaret Silveira asked De Leon to give a brief presentation of the department”s progress as a way to, “Help promote clearer action and promote communication between city and county,” De Leon said.
Contact Richard Dasher at rdasherjr@live.com.
