Algae Status Report 7-21-10

Algae Status Report 7-21-10

Most of you are aware of the fact that we have an algae problem in the Keys.  You may or may not aware of the rest of the major issues that we’re facing, or the work that the volunteers are doing to deal with the problem.

1. The algae are composed primarily of a blue-green variety with high filament content.  The problem is now lake-wide, extending from approximately Paradise Point to the south end of the lake.  Clearlake is particularly hard-hit as are sections of the lake around Lower Lake and portions of the south-east shore.  While the situation is not nearly as bad as was true during the Lyngbya invasion, it is a major problem nevertheless. 
2. The fight against this problem in the Keys has been complicated by a number of factors.
   1. The spray boat that has been operating in Zone 4 (the area surrounding Everglade Blvd.) was down for some time with a bad transmission.  It is now back on the water.
   2. The spray boat operating in Zone 3 (Hwy. 20 to Venus Village) is now down with a bad engine.  The algae are thick enough that the water intakes on the spray boat engines have been clogging.  The engine on this boat overheated to the extent that it will have to be replaced.  Steve Abel has located a good used engine, but timing on replacement is still unknown.
   3. Jim Goulart, Spray Boat captain for Zone 4, is in the hospital for emergency shoulder surgery.
   4. Bob Summerrill, who had volunteered to take up some of slack in spray boat operations, is hospitalized for emergency gall bladder surgery.  The date of his return is unknown.
   5. A number of experienced spray boat operators are out of town on long planned vacations.
3. We are working on solutions, but they will take time.  Here’s the status.
   1. Steve Abel has delayed his vacation plans in order to coordinate the replacement the “dead” spray boat engine as well as coordinating new spray boat volunteers. Steve has located a good used engine in the Colusa area and that engine will be picked up and installed in the next few days.
   2. Dennis Locke is working with a bay area company, Aquatic Environments, to bring booms to the Keys and to test an algae-killing chemical spraying effort.  We will have further word on the timing of that by either Friday or Monday.
   3. Lake County Water Resources has offered to help us, but their staff is currently overwhelmed by the problems in the south portion of the lake.  We are not optimistic that there will be a lot of help here.
   4. The county had promised us booms to contain the algae, but the oil spill in the Gulf has resulted in an almost-total lack of boom availability.
   5. We are making arrangements to share spray boats in such a way that boats from other zones can at least partially cover Zone 4.  However, the other boats are currently on the water for 8 hours a day and we therefore expect shared pain to continue for a while.
   6. A number of people have stepped up to volunteer as spray boat operators, but we need more.  If you can volunteer for a regular shift, please call me – Dennis Krentz – at 707-998-8280.  If anyone out there knows who was volunteering on Jim Goulart’s boat, please let me know.
   7. Finally, take time to thank the volunteers when you see them, and wish our ill colleagues well.  We will get through this.