It appears that some type of water lily and another type of grass have taken over parts of Lake Wilson near Wilikina and Kunia Road. It started a few months ago with small sections on both banks, then quickly spread to cover the surface of the lake. It would be impossible for fishermen in small boats with outboard motors to get through. Is anything going to be done about this? Lake Wilson plants
pose threat to boatersThe lily-like plants blanketing an estimated 30,000 square feet of the lake are water hyacinths, according to specialists at the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, who are gearing up to deal with the potential menace.
While there is a manageable bloom every year, the plant has grown out of control this year because the conditions were right, and the department doesn't have enough staff to handle it, said aquatic biologist Annette Tagawa. The last big bloom was in the '60s, she said.
Bids are being solicited from contractors to harvest the unwanted plant from the Wahiawa fishing reserve, said Hiram Young, who is in charge of the department's engineering design section.
The problem is that the department has only $10,000 budgeted for such a task, and the bids have been coming in higher, he said. The plant has to be harvested manually, said Young, who still anticipates the cleanup beginning in about a month.
Water hyacinths have been used elsewhere to help treat sewage effluent -- it removes nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen -- so it's not surprising that the Lake Wilson growth is in the area where the city and Army have been discharging treated sewage (a practice that must end in three years by court order).
On the positive side, the hyacinths help clean the water, Tagawa said. The bad part is that they cause a navigational hazard for boats, and if allowed to overrun and cover the surface of the lake, will block out sunlight, causing a chain reaction that would lead to a fish kill. "If that happens, it could become a health hazard for Wahiawa town," Tagawa said.
More Kokua Line
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- Mahalo
- Torch Run
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