UV light is currently used in some municipal water treatment plants, and could routinely replace chlorine treatment in the future. Image credit: http://uvsuperstore.com/

     The Tahoe Fund, in partnership with Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Inventive Resources, Inc., and The California Tahoe Conservancy, has started their UV Light Pilot Project to test the efficacy of UV light in fighting invasive weeds. Set to run through 2018 in Lake Tahoe, the project will look at the effects of the treatment specifically in Lakeside Marina and in open waters.

      And the results have been great so far in the marina. Previous research had shown that Ultraviolet-C (UVC) light could be an effective method of aquatic weed control, and with half of the marina's weeds seemingly destroyed within a week, the research may be on to something.

     “It’s exciting to see that after just a week, the half of the marina treated with the UV light is already weed free. With more testing, we hope this could be a viable long-term tool,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “By providing early stage funding through our Environmental Venture Trust, we were able to help secure more than $260,000 in public funds to jumpstart this project. This is just the first of many venture stage environmental improvement projects around the Lake that Tahoe Fund can help kick-start.”