Cascade Water Alliance is holding the second in a series of three public meetings to talk about strategies to eradicate milfoil in Lake Tapps. The meeting is scheduled for 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 11, at North Tapps Middle School, 20029 12th St. E., Lake Tapps.

The Lake Tapps milfoil eradication plan is now nearly complete. Cascade and environmental consultants from Tetra Tech will share specifics of the plan with the community, answer questions and take public comment. They also will provide an update on the milfoil mapping in the lake.

More than 120 community members attended the first in this series of meetings about milfoil in Lake Tapps on March 31. Cascade informed the community of its intention to eradicate milfoil from the lake, and Tetra Tech officials described the pros and cons of various eradication approaches. Cascade and Tetra Tech gave an overview of the eradication program and plans to survey and map milfoil growth in the lake.

A third public meeting is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. June 9 at a location to be announced.

Milfoil poses environmental and maintenance challenges for a healthy lake. According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, milfoil starts spring growth earlier than native aquatic plants and can out shade these beneficial plants. Because it is widely distributed and difficult to control, DOE says milfoil is considered the most problematic plant in Washington State.

Questions and comments about milfoil in Lake Tapps also can be sent to Jon Shimada, capital projects director, at contact@cascadewater.org, or by calling 1-877-299-0930.