The board and community members spent nearly three hours considering ways to address algae and weeds, with Water Resources Director Scott De Leon offering a presentation on options, and the board taking considerable public input on the topics.
Also on the agenda had been consideration of appointing a steering committee to look at funding options. However, County Counsel Anita Grant instead suggested that De Leon meet with several interested local leaders in an effort to brainstorm options.
De Leon said he will meet informally with George Speake, Kathy Fowler, Melissa Fulton, Peggie King and Jim Fetzer.
He'll come back to the board at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at which time an hour and a half will be set aside to discuss algae and weed abatement methods that have worked in the past, new options and available technologies, pros and cons of each and approximate costs, he said.
“We're looking at brand new things that we've never done before,” De Leon explained.
De Leon said he's looking at technology to remove matted weed and algae material from the lake, run it through a dewatering process and then dispose of the remaining solids.
He's been in contact with a company that has performed work removing sludge from the bottom of county sewage treatment ponds using a vacuum dredge and then a press or centrifuge to separate solids and water. They're now looking at how the technology could be applied to Clear Lake.
“I don't know if this particular company has used it in open water,” he said.
De Leon pointed out that some of the technologies being considered for use in Clear Lake currently are being used to remove oil from the BP oil spill from the water in the Gulf of Mexico.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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