On Thursday, Friends of Vancouver Lake completed the first of two planned surveys that will assess the impact of recent treatment to Eurasian Watermilfoil in Vancouver Lake.
The milfoil is a class B noxious weed in Washington that requires mandatory control under state and local regulations, according to a Friends of Vancouver Lake press release. The milfoil can get tangled with boats, animals and humans, and is dangerous to wildlife and the environment.
Milfoil was first identified in spring 2018 by lake users, who became alarmed by widespread infestation. Without treatment, the milfoil would cover the lake by 2021, according to Friends of Vancouver Lake.
Thursday’s survey, according to Friends of Vancouver Lake, showed significant harm to the milfoil from the application of herbicide applied 10 days ago. It will take at least three weeks to know the full impact of the treatment.
“The results are progressing just as we expected them to,” said Terry McNabb of Bellingham-based AquaTechnex LLC, which conducted the treatment. “Importantly, our survey also showed native plants intact and healthy.”
A second survey will be completed in mid-August.
