2020 Clarks Creek Elodea Removal

2020 Elodea Management - DASH

The regular-season elodea management window for 2020 is June 1 - August 1, 2020. The contract was awarded to Seattle Diving Services, Inc. at the April 14, 2020, Council meeting and in-water work began on June 1, 2020.

Permitting Windows

The 2020 elodea management work will include work under the existing permit from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). The current Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) permit expires in June 2023.
 
The permitting process with WDFW for the in-water work to remove overgrown elodea and invasive weeds includes the submittal of a Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application (JARPA). The proposed work was reviewed, and a 5-year HPA permit was issued by WDFW. The JARPA detailed the Diver-Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) process and proposed an in-water area of work. The total project area is approximately 3 miles long, beginning just south of the 12th Ave SW bridge in Puyallup and ending at the 56th Ave E bridge in Pierce County.

For more information on the WDFW HPA program and process please visit the WDFW website

Current Totals-

100% Project Complete

16,175 Linear Ft. 

16,456 Bags Filled

Updated: 07/30/2020
All numbers are reported by the contractor, and verified by Project Engineer.

Elodea Removal DateElodea Removal AreasElodea Removal Distance Elodea Removal Bags Filled
06/02/20116090
06/03/201233175
06/04/201120110
06/08/201 & 4173315
06/09/201 & 4250450
06/10/201209225
06/11/201280450
06/12/201290180
06/15/20
2300585
06/16/202185405
06/17/20
2380360
06/19/202245185
06/22/202 & 4230220
06/23/20
2 & 4
188190
06/24/20
2 & 4
245315
06/25/20
2 & 4
65145
06/26/202 & 6a
75184
06/29/204 & 6a330370
06/30/204, 6a, & 6b390390
07/01/204 & 6b
350368
07/02/204 & 6b
255393
07/03/203, 4, & 6b728504
07/04/203225220
07/05/203240191
07/06/20
3 & 4220245
07/07/203, 4, & 6b65300
07/08/203, 4, 5, 6b146232
07/09/205 & 6b420395
07/10/205 & 6b
400624
07/11/205 & 6b
455448
07/12/205
83132
07/13/205 & 6b
570552
07/14/205 & 6b
400506
07/15/205, 6a, & 6b360426
07/16/206a & 6b205256
07/17/206a
256311
07/18/206a
280468
07/19/206a
76110
07/20/206a413504
07/21/206a540720
07/22/206a & 7215170
07/23/207 & 8595324
07/24/207 & 8
555415
07/25/207 & 8
660462
07/26/207 & 8
597439
07/27/207 & 8
615456
07/28/207 & 8
1002523
07/29/2081037398
07/30/20FINISHED!

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.

  1. Ryan Rutkosky, P.E.

    Senior Civil Engineer

Additional Information

Project Photos

2018-2023 Permitting

Environmental Permitting:

  • Hydraulic Project Approval, HPA (WA Fish and Wildlife) - new JARPA application
  • Shoreline Substantial Development Permit (City of Puyallup) - existing permit provides coverage through 2023
  • State Environmental Policy Act project review (City of Puyallup) - existing permit provides coverage through 2023.