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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 10:27 a.m., Tuesday, February 18, 2003

Workers set up to excavate Lake Wilson weed

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Government officials, heavy equipment operators and aquatic biologists stood in the shadow of a 31-ton amphibious excavator today as they prepared to dig 2 million cubic feet of weed from Lake Wilson.

A floating excavator this morning was placed on Lake Wilson to begin removing the Salvinia molesta weed that is threatening fish.

Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

The weed, Salvinia molesta, has covered nearly the entire 300-acre surface of the lake since it began spreading in November. The blanket of green threatens to kill the 500 tons of fish that live in Lake Wilson.

State, city and federal officials are involved. Herbicide sprayers also will be used once they are mounted on a boat.

"We're just trying to get in here," said Glenn Higashi, an aquatic biologist with the state's Division of Aquatic Resources. "We are trying to get the equipment in the water so we can do something."

Workers needed clear a path for the excavator, which is 18 feet wide and floats on giant pontoons.

"Hopefully we can start working on getting it functioning today," Higashi said.

The excavator is owned by the city's Department of Facility Maintenance, where only one man ­ Alvin Kaaihue ­ is trained to operate it. It has several tools, including a big claw, that can be used to grab the weed from the lake, said city spokeswoman Carol Costa.

City officials loaned the excavator to the state, which had to pay for towing ­ which was estimated to cost $12,000.

Workers got the excavator onto the lake by mid-morning. The entire job is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.