LAKE COUNTY — It”s official. The 150-square-foot floating island built from 2,250 recycled plastic bottles is out of production and ready for delivery.
Everyone is invited on Saturday to attend the floating island launch celebration at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine, at Clarks Island in downtown Clearlake Oaks. Brian Jacklich and James Krause of Floating Islands West will be available with display materials to explain the process, answer any questions and help with the launch.
The island will be carried over to Clarks Island where the group will be assembling the three pieces. The group will also be planting cattails, tules and pushing the island into the water and then moving it to the final location between the Tower Mart dock and the bridge. Two 300 to 350-pound anchors will keep it in position. The entire process will take approximately two-and-half hours. It is recommended that volunteers bring a lunch.
The group is looking for use of a pontoon boat. It is necessary to put the two concrete anchors onto a pontoon at the Clearlake Oaks boat launch for ferrying to Clarks Island, installing the anchors in the water and pulling the island into position.
For those who know of one, or can help out, this would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks to the Lake County community for contributing $5,700 toward this first island pilot project, to Floating Islands West for donating $1,500 worth of anchoring hardware, and to the Habematolel Environmental Center for performing the first year of water testing and analysis, a $5,000 to $8,000 value.
To see photos of the production process and the ongoing activity at Clarks Island, visit the CISI facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clarks-Island-Sustainability-Initiative/131571996892818.
