Two Voluntary Programs to help control AIS!
Check out the two programs offered by third party companies willing to help control AIS around your dock and shoreline property.
Bottom Barrier Program
You can either choose to work with Lake Defense Force as they have offered their services for the 2026 season. Homeowners can contact them directly and their crew of divers will be onsite in April/May to do the installations. They will bring the materials and do the installations in April/May, then return to remove the barriers at the end of the season around October.
OR
You can install bottom barriers yourself or work with your own private diver to install. To comply with permitting requirements, we ask you fill out an application form (Form 19) which can be found below. All information regarding what types of matierals needed and timelines that need to be followed for installation and removal can be found below.
AIS Maintenance Service
Lake Tahoe Diving & Environmental Inc. has created a program specifically for the Tahoe Keys Homeowners with the goal of offering seasonal aquatic vegetation maintenance with consistent, visible control of aquatic weeds in private dock and shallow shoreline areas throughout the summer season.
This program will include a crew that arrives by boat and removes aquatic vegetation from around and beneath docks, along dock lines, and within shallow shoreline areas where harvesting equipment cannot effectively reach. All work is performed from above water. Regular visits throughout the season reduce overall biomass, limit regrowth, and allow for cleaner, more efficient maintenance over time.
Enrollment is simple: select your property size, enroll, and we will schedule your property accordingly. Scroll below for more information.
More Information: Bottom Barrier Program
Fill Out Application Form if you choose to install yourself
To comply with permitting requirements, we ask that any homeowner wanting to participate in the Bottom Barrier Program by installing themselves or working with their own private divers to please fill out a brief application form (Form 19).
This form, available below, allows the Waterways Department to track locations and ensure the program remains within the permitted five-acre limit. Additionally, all bottom barriers must be removed by November 1st to maintain compliance.
If you install barrier yourself, please regard information below:
Bottom barriers are typically made from permeable, tarp-like material that are weighed down on the lagoon floor, preventing sunlight from reaching aquatic weeds. This method is relatively simple to implement and can have great success.
The most effective installation involves securing the barriers with either 3/8” rebar or concrete-filled PVC pipes, spaced every six inches and around the perimeter. Using sandbags or any other loose material that could add sediment into the water is not allowed. Unproperly weighted bottom barriers will float to the surface causing issues and eliminating the effectiveness.
When determining the bottom barrier size you need, it is important to account for a four-inch overlap with each barrier to prevent weed growth in between the gaps.
Eight weeks is the minimum recommended duration for the barriers to be in place. Ideally installation would happen before the spring growth begins and left in place long enough into the fall to prevent the later season growth we experience with certain species. This lengthened approach will disrupt the plant reproduction cycle further increasing the beneficial gain of using bottom barriers.
*Additional vendors to purchase bottom barrier materials:
Website: lakebottomblanket.com
Website: lakemat.com
Website: lakematshop.com
