2017 Clark's Creek Elodea Removal
2017 Elodea Management - DASH
The regular-season elodea management window for 2017 was June 1 - August 4, 2017. The contract was awarded to Aqua Dive Services, LLC at the May 23rd Council meeting and in-water work began on June 5th.
For 2017 work, a minor modification was granted to the current HPA by WDFW. The modification expands the work area to include removal of elodea growth in DeCoursey Pond. As a flow-through area, elodea is present in the pond and removal is desired to reduce down-stream effects.
2017 Daily Work Progress
In-water work began June 1, 2017 and completed on July 28, 2017. Daily progress was reported in linear feet (LF) of area cleared and number of bags filled with elodea. Updates were posted daily on the progress of the Contract work.
Final totals:
15,750 Linear Feet Cleared
34,364 Bags Filled
July Progress
- 07/28/2017 - Working in Area #8
Area cleared: 400
Bags filled: 375 - 07/27/2017 - Working in Area #8
Area cleared: 800
Bags filled: 775 - 07/26/2017 - Working in Area #8
Area cleared: 800
Bags filled: 825 - 07/25/2017 - Working in Area #8
Area cleared: 500
Bags filled: 750 - 07/24/2017 - Working in Area #8
Area cleared: 350
Bags filled: 650 - 07/21/2017 - Working in Areas #7 & #8
Area cleared: 700
Bags filled: 550 - 07/20/2017 - Working in Area #7
Area cleared: 300
Bags filled: 675 - 07/19/2017 - Working in Area #7
Area cleared: 350
Bags filled: 750 - 07/18/2017 - Working in Area #7
Area cleared: 500
Bags filled: 650 - 07/17/2017 - Working in DeCoursey & Area #7
Area cleared: 350
Bags filled: 530 - 07/14/2017 - Working in DeCoursey & Area #7
Area cleared: 200
Bags filled: 825 - 07/13/2017 - Working in DeCoursey & Area #7
Area cleared: 400
Bags filled: 1,300 - 07/12/2017 - Working in Area #4
Area cleared: 150
Bags filled: 750 - 07/11/2017 - Working in Area #4
Area cleared: 300
Bags filled: 1675 - 07/10/2017 - Working in Area #4
Area cleared: 140
Bags filled: 1,025 - 07/08/2017 - Working in Area #4
Area cleared: 150
Bags filled: 875 - 07/07/2017 - Working in Areas #4 & #6
Area cleared: 300
Bags filled: 1,080 - 07/06/2017 - Working in Areas #3 & #6
Area cleared: 650
Bags filled: 1,525 - 07/05/2017 - Working in Area #3 & #6
Area cleared: 350
Bags filled: 1,100 - 07/04/2017 - No work, holiday
- 07/03/2017 - Working in Area #3
Area cleared: 350
Bags filled: 375
June Progress
- 06/30/2017 - Working in Area #3 & #6
Area cleared: 475
Bags filled: 875 - 06/29/2017 - Working in Area #2 & #6
Area cleared: 500
Bags filled: 1,175 - 06/28/2017 - Working in Areas #2 & #6
Area cleared: 650
Bags filled: 1050 - 06/27/2017 - Working in Areas #2 & #6
Area cleared: 750
Bags filled: 1200 - 06/26/2017 - Working in Areas #2 & #6
Area cleared: 400
Bags filled: 775 - 06/23/2017 - Working in Areas #2 & #6
Area cleared: 350
Bags filled: 700 - 06/22/2017 - Working in Areas #2 & #6
Area cleared: 400
Bags filled: 1200 - 06/21/2017 - Working in Area #6
Area cleared: 180
Bags filled: 925 - 06/20/2017 - Working in Area #6
Area cleared: 225
Bags filled: 875 - 06/19/2017 - Working in Area #6
Area cleared: 300
Bags filled: 839 - 06/16/2017 - Working in Areas #1 & #6
Area cleared: 400
Bags filled: 1,125 - 06/15/2017 - Working in Areas #1 & #6
Area cleared: 540
Bags filled: 1,175 - 6/14/17 - Working in Area #1
Area Cleared: 275
Bags filled: 500 - 06/13/2017 - Working in Areas #1 & #6
Area cleared: 300
Bags filled: 650 - 06/12/2017 - Working in Areas #1 & #5
Area cleared: 250
Bags filled: 545 - 06/09/2017 - Working in Areas #1 & #5
Area cleared: 400
Bags filled: 600 - 06/08/2017 - Working in Areas #1 & #5
Area cleared: 560
Bags filled: 875 - 06/07/2017 - Working in Areas #1 & #5
Area cleared: 390
Bags filled: 650 - 06/06/0217 - Working in Area #5
Area cleared: 250 LF
Bags filled: 550 - 06/05/2017 - Working in Area #5
Area cleared: 400 LF
Bags filled: 600 - 06/02/2017 - Working in Area #5
Area cleared: 300 LF
Bags filled: 320 bags - 06/01/2017 - Working in Area #5
Area cleared: 100 LF
Bags filled: 100 bags
Elodea History on Clarks Creek
Management of excessive elodea in Clark's Creek has been ongoing for more than 20 years in Puyallup. In 2012 a task force comprised of staff, Council, citizens, regulatory agencies, and other organizations worked together to develop agreeable solutions to the problem. The goal was to find sustainable solutions that would reduce the overall presence of elodea and sediment in Clark's Creek, improving the health of the creek.
Diver-assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) was identified by the 2012 Elodea Task Force as the main method for elodea removal starting in 2013 onward. In this process, divers enter the water from pontoon-type boats, using surface-supplied air. The divers hand-pull the elodea from the stream, and feed it into a suction hose. The plant material is suctioned to the surface of the water, into mesh bags located on the boat. When several bags are full, they are each transported to the shore, and removed from the project site. This process reduces the fragmentation of the elodea, and completely removes the plant from the stream so it cannot re-plant itself, or grow back. The process is modeled after similar successful DASH projects in Thurston County, Washington and New York.