Halloween Wednesday featured a photo of the lake on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. The photo accompanied the article about efforts to rid the lake of the aquatic pest, the tiny Asian clam. It's about the size of a large pebble(+/- inch), and lives just under the surface sand on the lake bottom. Researchers say the clam has been here for at least a decade, and could overwhelm native animals in the food competition.
The article, written by the paper's Peter Fimrite, describes the steps involved with plan designed by scientists at UC Davis research center in Incline Village. The plan calls for rubber mats to be place in 10'x100' sections on the lake bottom in Emerald Bay. The site will be monitored for a year, although tests indicate that the clams die off in 10-40days after placement. While not the only pest in the lake environment, the clam could have the highest impact if not controlled immediately.
Watch for updates or go to the UC Davis web site for info. Photos include one of Dr. Geoffrey Schadlow of UCD. Let's hope this project succeeds,too. Who needs more clams, anyway?
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