SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif.- The problem of aquatic invasive weeds and nuisance plants in the Tahoe Keys continues to grow, even with the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association (TKPOA) investing time and money to control the problem. The aquatic invasive species (AIS) continue to spread and the costs continue to grow.
Weeds in the lagoons have been an issue since the 1970s. Seasonal harvesting has been the main weed control practice since the mid-1980s, removing more than 10,000 cubic yards annually at a cost up to $400,000 per year. TKPOA has spent $3,700,000 to date on AIS and water quality issues and anticipates spending $2,000,000 more by 2020. Tahoe Keys property owners are feeling the heavy burden of this onerous issue.
They have tried a bubble curtain, a laminar flow aeration system, skimmers, bottom barriers, and other methods as well as harvesting to control these weeds.