WATERWAYS FUNDING REFERENDUM: CONTROL METHODS TEST YEAR THREE AND THE WATER QUALITY LONG-TERM PLAN By Kristine Lebo, Water Quality Manager
The voting packet for the 2024 Waterways Funding Referendum has been sent out to the homeownership. This special assessment includes the Control Methods Test (CMT) Year 3 budget along with a plan to take the beginning steps to achieve the long-term solution. The Tahoe Keys faces two challenges within the waterways: 1) the invasive weeds infestation and 2) the overall water quality. The Water Quality Department identifies these topics as: 1) our largescale solution and 2) the long-term plan. Through the CMT, we are trying to solve how we control and eliminate the invasive weeds themselves in a way that is economically viable, environmentally sound, and reasonably permittable for a large-scale application within the lagoons. To solve the second issue of water quality, we must look long-term into the resources we have to manage the water column. Through this two-sided approach, we strive towards restoration of the natural ecosystem for the Keys. Control Methods Test Year 3 Continuing our commitment into the third year of the CMT is critical. To determine what combination of treatments control invasive weeds year after year, while avoiding the risks associated with long-term herbicide dependence, we need to complete the test as designed. Through this test, we have developed incredible partnerships with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and League to Save Lake Tahoe that must be preserved. They not only have been major contributors financially, around $9 million and counting, but additionally utilizing their influence and public reach has been extremely beneficial in Keys Breeze
|
communicating with and educating other agencies, programs, stakeholders, and the general public. We as an association want to stay in control of the future, therefore, spearheading and continuing what we have started is necessary to ensure our homeowners have a say on what goes on in their backyard. The CMT Year 2 has shown promise. Herbicide application from Year 1 worked as expected and have proven continued results into Year 2. Nonetheless, you might have noticed a lot of plant growth along this year's shoreline in herbicide treated sites. As you know, 2023's water level is much higher than it was in 2022, submerging areas that were previously dry and left untreated with aquatic herbicide. Therefore, we utilized Group B methods in these newly submerged areas to treat the new plant growth. Though it was an obstacle, this became a positive learning objective the test provided. It highlights the need for an adaptive implementation plan and the necessity for flexible permit regulations to be effective and work with the uncontrollable environmental conditions that each year presents. The actual implementation of these Group B methods has also been successful. We achieved virtually every goal that was set at the start of the season. Continuing on this path into the third year will allow us to gather data of the lasting effects from both the herbicide and the non-chemical follow-up treatments. This understanding will help us make determinations moving forward into the large-scale plan.
OCTOBER 2023
|
20
