LAKE COUNTY — Weed eradication is under way on Clear Lake, according Lake County Water Resources Director Scott De Leon.
The treatment areas, weather-permitting, scheduled for today, Thursday and Friday will be in North Lakeport and in the area of Crystal Lake Way to Rodman Slough.
Pestmasters will be working at Lands End, Corinthian Bay and Lakeside Park on Friday.
Maintenance zones were developed around the lake and three contractors have been hired to perform weed abatement using a combination of techniques, including mechanical harvesting and application of herbicide. All the chemicals are approved for use in freshwater by the state of California.
The maintenance zones were established in areas that have historically been negatively impacted by the weeds. The types of weeds being abated are primarily sago pondweed, curlyleaf pondweed and milfoil.
The cost is estimated at approximately $250,000 for the 225 acres that will be treated.
“The contracts cover the summer. As new weeds sprout we may see continued treatment efforts during the summer months,” De Leon said.
Homeowners who use lake water for irrigation or personal use need to be aware that the herbicides are being used in the lake and they may need to refrain from using the water for those purposes for a period of three to five days.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors directed the Water Resources Department to develop a plan to control nuisance aquatic weeds in order to make the lake more accessible. The main component of the plan is treated boat lanes that extend from the shoreline to the deeper water. Along with that the department is creating what is called a shoreline lane that runs parallel to the shore. This will provide property owners the ability to drive their boats to the nearest boat lane to access the lake. Maps of treatment areas are available on the website at www.colake.ca.us, once on the site go to the Water Resources Department”s homepage.
For more information call the Department of Water Resources at 263-2344.
