Lingle applauds weed-removal work

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

WAHIAWA — In white tennis shoes, Gov. Linda Lingle stood at the edge of Lake Wilson yesterday for the first time since the salvinia weed took over, watching crews near the boat ramp pull out truckloads of the lime-green plant from the Wahiawa reservoir.

Gov. Linda Lingle and back hoe operator Francisco Habon watched the removal of salvinia at the Lake Wilson boat ramp yesterday. Lingle wants to come up with long-term cost estimates to maintain waterways affected by the weed. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

The rapid spread of the noxious weed, which grew out of control to cover about 95 percent of the 300-acre lake, prompted the state to "move into action very, very quickly," Lingle said.

But yesterday she called for a management plan as a long-term goal for the state that would include an early detection program and continuous spraying of herbicide at the lake. The plan would also include ways to get the community involved in cleanup efforts.

"We're dealing with the current situation, but we have to make sure this doesn't happen again," Lingle said. "This is a priority."

Lingle asked the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to come up with long-term cost estimates to maintain the lake and other waterways affected by salvinia. For now, the state and city will have to use money from their existing budgets to battle the weed, she said.

"We are committed to getting this done," Lingle said.

The state and city each have committed $500,000 to fight the infestation. More than two-thirds of a $150,000 federal grant has been spent. And officials say that's not enough.

"It's not likely we'll rid the state of Hawai'i of salvinia," said Peter Young, DLNR director. "We're looking for more money."

The state had estimated it would need about $1.2 million just to operate the city site behind Kemo'o By The Lake condominiums on Wilikina Drive, Young said.

Enough herbicide for one spraying of the entire lake costs $36,000, and state officials estimate that some areas will need to be sprayed more than once to kill the weed.

Since spraying began last Monday, crews have covered more than 90 acres upstream from the two operating sites. Workers are seeing the first evidence that the herbicide, AquaMaster, is working, with some plants sprayed early last week in the area under the Wilson Bridge beginning to die.

Excavation has eliminated more than 10 acres of salvinia.

Crews worked on Saturday at both sites, marking the first time they had worked weekends since excavation began Feb. 19. About six workers pulled out about 550 cubic yards on Saturday at the city site; crews gathered salvinia closer to the boat ramp at the state site at the Lake Wilson Recreational Area. Both crews worked from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. All weekend work will be on overtime, said Eric Hirano, head of engineering for DLNR.

Crews will also work longer hours on weekdays, Hirano added. Excavators at the city site worked until 6 p.m. on Friday, removing about 400 cubic yards of salvinia.

The goal is to operate at least one site on weekends so that crews are working all week, Young added.

Officials praised the cooperation between state and city agencies to clean up the lake. The next step is to involve the community, as is being done at Kawainui Marsh in Kailua.

The National Guard will begin working on weekends at the state site starting on Saturday.

And the U.S. Army is awaiting approval to begin operating a third site on the north side of the lake. The Army will provide all the equipment and manpower to run the site with no cost to the state or city, Young said.

Both sites have 24-hour security to ensure people don't steal or vandalize equipment left there overnight. So far there haven't been any problems, Hirano said.

The governor came out to the state site yesterday to see the progress and to personally thank the workers. During her half-hour visit, workers stopped extracting salvinia to meet with Lingle.

"It's good she came out," said Matsuda, an engineer who began working at the state site last week. "It makes us feel we're not doing this alone; that people are supporting us."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.