Stowe Talbot wrote the following article which was published by the Laurelhurst Community Club in the Laurelhurst Letter in October 2020.
Milfoiled, Another History of Union Bay
By Stowe Talbot
With the exception of September with its awful smoke, I can’t think of another summer where I’ve witnessed more people out enjoying themselves on Union Bay; swimming, rowing, sailing, fishing and just anchoring out in the middle. Nature was thriving too. Bald eagles were out in force, enjoying a well balanced Keto diet of seafood and waterfowl.
Growing up on Webster Point in the 70’s and 80’s, I spent a lot of time on and in Union Bay. And it had more than its share of ecological problems. First and foremost was the proliferation of Eurasian milfoil, a non-native aquatic plant that had overrun the basin. Union Bay at that time was a popular spot for motorboats and waterskiing. Boats would cut through the milfoil chopping off the upper three feet of the plant, which would then float to the surface and drift around in clumps. Sailboats and other watercraft venturing into the bay would accumulate long trails of the weed on their propellers, daggerboards and rudders. Some of this floating milfoil would form drifting islands, seemingly thick enough to walk on. Most of the milfoil, however, would float into shore, creating a thick mat of rotting vegetation, stretching 100 feet out from the beach. On weekends, my father and I would spend hours scooping up the stinky stuff with rakes, de-watering it on the shore, and then hauling it to the Fremont dump. Alas, it was a Sisyphean task; more milfoil would drift into shore by the next day or two.
I am now on the board of an organization called SUBA (Save Union Bay Association), a non-profit organization of Laurelhurst neighbors dedicated to preserving and enhancing both the ecology and recreational use of our beautiful bay. The organization has undertaken many projects and initiatives over the years to control invasive species: For example, successfully petitioning to stop the pumping of algal water from Green Lake into Union Bay; daylighting Ravenna Creek into the University Slough, and removing invasive nutria (a large South American species of rodent).
In 2010 with the vision of president Susan Holliday, SUBA focused on targeted herbicide treatments of invasive aquatic plants. Aquatechnex, our longtime contractor, uses gentle herbicides. These annual treatments, which are licensed and approved by the State, have proved by far the most effective method for weed control, and have significantly brought back the health of the bay for both recreation and wildlife.
In fact, the Department of Ecology has recognized our accomplishments and has recommended other lake associations model their programs on ours.
SUBA’s work is financed primarily by donations from Laurelhurst neighbors – $450,000 to date – with additional support from the UW and grants from the State. We also want to acknowledge the ongoing support from the UW athletics department and intramural sports programs to keep the bay navigable for their boat programs and to enhance the UW’s restoration of the Union Bay Natural Area. Today the bay is a thriving natural treasure that we should all cherish and enjoy.
https://laurelhurstcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Laurelhurst-News.Oct-2020.F.pdf