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Department of Ecology News Release - December 11, 2007
07-364
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is sending thousands of dollars to local communities combating toxic algae blooms and non-native plants that are invading the state’s fresh waters.
Ecology’s Freshwater Algae Control Program will provide $170,000 in grants to be shared by Snohomish County, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Lakewood and Jefferson County Public Health.
Toxic blue-green algae blooms contaminate freshwater and pose a health risk to humans, pets and livestock, who can die or become very ill from drinking it. The blooms also result in economic losses when waters are closed to recreation.
The funding program targets local efforts to reduce pollution that feeds algae growth. Stormwater runoff carries nutrients into lakes, rivers and streams from pet waste, failing septic systems and from over-use of lawn and garden fertilizers. People can help reduce nutrients by paying attention to these pollution problems, and by planting vegetation that soaks up rainwater and prevents it from sending nutrients into downstream waters.
Earlier this year, the Ecology algae-control program began paying for laboratory tests to help local health officials identify toxic algae blooms. Test results allow officials to warn people and their pets to stay out of the water if an algae bloom is toxic.
Here are summaries of the algae-control projects:
Snohomish County will receive $28,500 to work with lake residents to reduce nutrients that fuel algae growth and create an early detection system for toxic blue-green algae blooms. This project focuses on Cassidy, Ketchum and Loma lakes, which have suffered from toxic blooms in recent years.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department gets $47,993 to improve monitoring and communications about toxic algae blooms in Pierce County lakes. The Health Department will accomplish this by better identifying and quantifying toxic algae blooms, and refining the existing education and outreach notification process when a toxic algae bloom occurs.
Lakewood will receive $50,000 to test the effectiveness of applying granulated calcium hydroxide into Lake Steilacoom in an effort to reduce phosphorus and, in turn, blue-green algae in the lake.
Jefferson County Public Health gets $43,507 to assess the ecology of Gibbs, Leland and Anderson lakes. All three lakes experienced toxic algae blooms during the past two years leading to public health closures.
The second grant program, Ecology’s Aquatic Weeds Management Account, provides $200,000 to be shared by projects conducted by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane County Conservation District, Pacific County Noxious Weed Control Board, the University of Washington, Ilwaco, and the state Department of General Administration.
The excessive growth of non-native aquatic plants can choke out native freshwater plants, inhibit recreation, and put swimmers and boaters at risk. They create stagnant waters that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and harm healthy habitat relied upon by fish and wildlife. Eurasian watermilfoil, commonly called milfoil, is an invasive, non-native plant. Unsuspecting boaters can carry the plant from lake to lake if they don’t inspect and clean their boat and boat trailer.
The Legislature established the Freshwater Aquatic Weeds Account in 1991 to tackle the problem statewide. The account provides funding for technical assistance, public education and grants to help control aquatic weeds. The account is funded by $3 from every renewed boat trailer license.
Here are summaries of the projects:
In Kittitas County, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife will receive $38,194 to control and prevent re-infestation of Eurasian watermilfoil, purple loosestrife and yellow flag iris that threaten Fio Rito Lakes. The agency will get $27,300 to control and prevent re-infestation of the same weeds in Mattoon Lake.
In Spokane County Conservation District will receive $24,000 to develop a plan for controlling the infestation of non-native plants in Eloika Lake and preventing their spread to other nearby lakes.
The Pacific County Noxious Weed Control Board will get $10,800 to control milfoil and Brazilian elodea in Loomis Lake.
The University of Washington will receive $9,899 to verify that the current maximum application rates of the aquatic herbicide diquat, which goes by the trade name Reward, do not harm juvenile rainbow trout when the fish are exposed to the herbicide for 96 hours.
Ilwaco will receive $21,550 to control milfoil and Brazilian elodea in Black Lake. Cranberry operations use the lake’s water for irrigation, frost protection and flooding during cranberry harvesting.
The state Department of General Administration will get $68,257 to test bottom barriers and milfoil weevil control methods in a pond adjacent to Capitol Lake, for later possible use in Capitol Lake. # # #
Media contact: Sandy Howard, 360-407-6408; 360-791-3177 (cell); srud461@ecy.wa.gov
Algae Control Program: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/algae/index.html
Aquatic Weeds Management Account: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/grants/index.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
