The Port of Vancouver will contribute $50,000 to control Eurasian milfoil in Vancouver Lake, a decision that should allow chemical treatment of the lake this summer.
Port commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to provide $50,000 at the request of Friends of Vancouver Lake, which is working to raise about $175,000 to combat the invasive species strangling the lake in a tangle of aquatic weeds.
“We are being asked to be kind of a Band-Aid at this time,” Commissioner Don Orange said. “And I think it’s probably the right thing.”
Friends of Vancouver Lake also announced Tuesday that the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund will match up to $25,000 in donations to control milfoil at Vancouver Lake.
“The Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund is very pleased to be able to help save our Vancouver Lake,” the fund’s administrators said in a statement. “Our lake is a special part of the community. Rallying around doing what it takes to make it safe and healthy for all to enjoy today, as well as tomorrow, is simply the right thing to do.”
To treat milfoil, Friends of Vancouver Lake intends to hire AquaTechnex, a company specializing in aquatic plant and algae management, phosphorus pollution removal and invasive species control.
Earlier this month, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a permit to AquaTechnex to control milfoil at Vancouver Lake. The state won’t make a decision until June 5 on whether the company can use ProcellaCOR, an herbicide the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved in February 2018.
Larry Cassidy, Friends of Vancouver Lake chairman, told port commissioners Tuesday that AquaTechnex would use a different herbicide if the state doesn’t approve ProcellaCOR.
Volunteers from the Vancouver Sailing Club will survey the lake during the first week of July to identify milfoil and measure water depth where the plant is present, Cassidy said. AquaTechnex will use that information to chemically treat identified areas in mid-July, he said.
“It should all be done by the end of July,” he said.
The lake will need maintenance treatments in future years, Cassidy said, adding that those treatments should cost $25,000 to $35,000 in the second and third year.
Lisa Lowe, the port’s general counsel, will develop a formal agreement covering a number of items, including requirements to protect the port against lawsuits and claims, notify property owners and the public prior to treatment, and comply with applicable laws for government public works projects.
Commissioner Eric LaBrant said he wants to ensure there is appropriate outreach prior to herbicide application. Cassidy said his group already has contacted property owners around the lake, which was a requirement for obtaining the Ecology Department permit.
There is no precise time line for the port to complete the agreement, but Cassidy doesn’t see any problems moving ahead.
“It’s a big step toward helping the lake,” he said following Tuesday’s decision. “The port commissioners deserve credit for stepping up.”
Prior to Tuesday’s decision, Friends of Vancouver Lake said it already has raised $72,000, with the bulk of its money coming from a $45,000 contribution from the Firstenburg Foundation. The group also has two $25,000 conditional donations from local corporations, which it has declined to identify.
Overall, Friends of Vancouver Lake is trying to raise $250,000 for this year’s treatment and to lay the groundwork for re-establishing a partnership to address the lake’s needs going forward.
A milfoil fundraiser has been scheduled for 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. June 9 at the Vancouver Lake Sailing Club, 7110 N.W. 25th Ave. Suggested donation is $100, but any amount is appreciated.
