An infestation of aquatic invasive plants has threatened the famously blue waters of Lake Tahoe, but officials have announced that Phase 1 of a project targeting the weeds was a success.
As detailed by the Mountain Democrat, a joint effort under the Taylor and Tallac Ecosystem Restoration initiative successfully treated 17 acres of invasive weeds in the Taylor and Tallac creeks and marshes in South Lake Tahoe.
In early October, when Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program officials checked the aquatic plants' roots underneath sunlight-depriving barriers — placed two years ago — they found that both the roots and above-ground growth were dead.
"This marks an exciting step in the ultimate restoration of this invaluable habitat," Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager Dennis Zabaglo told the Mountain Democrat. "This is one of the basin's largest wetlands and its restoration is a cornerstone of the collaborative work to restore the Lake Tahoe region."
The program is a joint effort from the USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Tahoe RPA, which have begun to remove the weed barriers and expect all phases of the restoration project to take around three years.
Invasive plants aren't just a threat to native species that keep ecosystems in balance, as well as generally an expensive or time-consuming headache for those who find themselves unlucky enough to have to deal with any type of infestation on personal property. (Which is reason enough that more and more households are transitioning to low-maintenance rewilded yards.)
In addition to reducing biodiversity, they can cause issues with water quality. With tourists directly pouring in around $5 billion to the area through their spending — leading to a total economic impact of more than $10 billion, per Travel North Tahoe Nevada — the restoration is a crucial part of supporting the local economy.
"People want to come out here and see and swim in beautiful water, but also see native species in the water, [and] see birds," USDA Forest Service aquatic biologist Sarah Muskopf explained to the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Restoration projects in other parts of the United States have already begun to pay dividends. For example, one initiative in Oregon that supports threatened salmon is also expected to reduce the impact of wildfires, with wet areas expanding as a result of the initiative. Officials are hopeful that the Lake Tahoe program will similarly protect the desirable recreational fish.
🗣️ Should we be actively working to kill invasive species?
🔘 Absolutely 💯
🔘 It depends on the species 🤔
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🔘 No — leave nature alone 🙅
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According to the Mountain Democrat, they are also urging the public to make sure their boats aren't carrying invasives before traveling to new areas, and they intend to aggressively tackle any new infestations. To date, management efforts have cost around $4.7 million. The Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program anticipates it will begin Phase 2 next year.
"It's an exciting opportunity to bring back native habitat for one of the most beautiful places in the basin, and it's also important ecologically speaking that these are our natural filters, these wetlands, to reduce nutrients and sediments from entering Lake Tahoe," Zabaglo said to the Tribune, explaining the 17-acre success was nearly triple the previous largest treatment.
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