Pilot project on UV light to kill algae and other invasive plants

[WB Staff]

RENO (AP) — Encouraged by three years of experimentation, scientists at Lake Tahoe plan to expand the use of ultraviolet light to kill algae and other invasive plants that eat away at the clarity of the mountain water.

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are monitoring the project and collecting data to study the effects of the ultraviolet-C light treatments. It’s the newest tool in a two-decade effort to restore the once-pristine waters in the lake straddling the California-Nevada line.

“This could be a game-changer for managing plants at a larger scale at Lake Tahoe or beyond,” said Sudeep Chandra, director of the university’s Global Water Center.

The pilot project on the south shore showed that applying the light treatment caused invasive plants to deteriorate or completely collapse within seven to 14 days of treatment, the university said in a news release this week.

Full story: https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/ ... ake-tahoe/