Tahoe Goes High Tech to Fight Aquatic Invasive Weeds
UV Light Pilot Project Now Underway
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev., July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Tahoe Fund announced the start of an innovative pilot project to test the use of UV light to fight aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe. The UV light boat has been deployed in South Lake Tahoe, CA and has begun analyzing the effects of deep penetrating UV light on aquatic invasive weeds in Lakeside Marina and open water settings through 2018. Within the first week of use, half of the weeds in the marina have already been destroyed. The UV Light Pilot Project is a partnership among Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Inventive Resources, Inc., The California Tahoe Conservancy and Tahoe Fund.
Research shows that ultraviolet-C (UVC) light could be an effective method to eliminate aquatic invasive plants. If proven successful, the light can be deployed in infested areas of Lake Tahoe and other clear water lakes around the world.
"It's exciting to see that after just a week, the half of the marina treated with the UV light is already weed free. With more testing, we hope this could be a viable long-term tool," said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. "By providing early-stage funding through our Environmental Venture Trust, we were able to help secure more than $260,000 in public funds to jumpstart this project. This is just the first of many venture stage environmental improvement projects around the Lake that Tahoe Fund can help kick-start."
"From our efforts in Emerald Bay, we know that invasive plant populations can be reduced, and with continued treatments and new tools, we can control weed populations around the lake," said Nicole Cartwright, aquatic invasive species program manager for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
"We are excited to bring this technology to a new forefront," said John Paoluccio, President of Inventive Resources, Inc., "we anticipate it will be a successful tool to control aquatic invasive plants in Tahoe and other waterways."
About Tahoe Fund
The mission of the Tahoe Fund is to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin by building broad support and funding for projects and programs that increase the enjoyment of the region for current and future generations.
SOURCE Tahoe Fund
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