The Aquatic Weeds Control Methods Test (CMT) is evaluating multiple treatment methods to inform a future large-scale program to reduce the impacts of invasive aquatic weeds to the Tahoe Keys Lagoons and prevent further spread to greater Lake Tahoe.
Aquatic invasive weeds have overtaken the Tahoe Keys lagoons and are spreading into Lake Tahoe where they threaten the water quality and aquatic ecology of this treasured high-mountain lake. In addition to evaluating traditional and innovative approaches to managing invasive aquatic weeds, the CMT Monitoring Program further evaluates the impacts of various treatments on water quality and response of the aquatic plant and benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities.
ESA has been working for the Tahoe Regional Planning Association (TRPA) on the aquatic weed control problem for more than five years. Beginning with an expanded checklist for the CEQA and TRPA environmental review processes, and continuing through the Final EIR/EIS, ESA led the evaluation of weed control alternatives on aquatic resources (i.e., water quality, limnology, fisheries, and aquatic ecology). Currently ESA is working closely with our subconsultant, Marine Taxonomic Services (MTS), to provide comprehensive monitoring at 24 sites in the Tahoe Keys Lagoons that has, or currently includes:
The Tahoe Keys CMT marks the very first application of EPA-approved aquatic herbicides in the Tahoe Basin to evaluate future operational use to combat invasive aquatic plants. ESA was instrumental in completing the Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) in 2019 that informed permitting decisions for this work.
Location South Lake Tahoe, California
Market Natural Resource Management
Services
Agency Consultation & Coordination
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Fish and Aquatic Sciences
Water Quality
Notable
First application of EPA-approved aquatic herbicides in the Tahoe Basin to evaluate future operational use to combat invasive aquatic plants
Data are available to stakeholders in near real time online via an interactive dashboard tool ESA developed in R Shiny. Users can toggle between different metrics by location, date, and treatment type.
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