Just beyond your backdoor and off your private dock, you have the opportunity to motor, sail, paddle, ski, or swim. Life on the Delta is all about the added value of water access. That’s likely one of the reasons you chose to make Delta Coves home.
Lagoon care is a shared effort.
The California Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) is responsible for delta waters, including the Delta Coves lagoon. However, as stewards of this important amenity, we must all play an active part to protect our beloved delta. This shared responsibility includes management of non-native aquatic vegetation growth.
The DBW monitors several species of invasive submersed and floating aquatic vegetation. Their team regularly visits Delta Coves to monitor and survey for the growth of primary species, Egeria Densa or Brazilian Waterweed, within the Delta Coves lagoon.
The DBW treats these species with Diquat while following compliance and biological opinions from seven government agencies. After a successful treatment in 2022, coupled with our community’s responsible use and care of the lagoon, the DBW determined Delta Coves to be a low-priority treatment location for the season. Due to DBW’s unforeseen budget cuts, their decision was to direct resources to areas of greatest need and therefore treatment of Delta Coves lagoon was not completed by DBW in 2023.
Sustainable approach to lagoon maintenance
Delta Coves developer and DCMC’s Board of Directors understand the financial and physical burden of maintaining your lagoon zones. To address those points, they hired DBW to treat the lagoon privately through 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Contracting with DBW helps to establish consistency among the lagoon zones and ensures proper compliance for long-term lagoon health.
Please take time to review the FAQs below to learn more about what this means for Delta Coves, and if you have additional questions, let us know.
Herbicide Treatment FAQs
Why is herbicide treatment needed?
Without proper proactive treatment, submersed vegetation becomes overgrown and creates an unsafe and unpleasant environment. Regular testing and treatment reduce the risk of harmful algae blooms to ensure Delta Coves' lagoon remains a swimmable amenity and attraction. Left untreated, the cost to remove the overgrowth and restore the ability to enjoy the water will be much greater.
In addition, maintaining clean water increases perceived property values and resident satisfaction. Life on the Delta is designed to appreciate beautiful views and recreation opportunities.
Why was Delta Coves not treated in 2023?
The DBW treated the lagoon twice in 2022, reducing the submersed vegetation biovolume from 37% to 5%. With such impressive results, the DWD focused its herbicide treatment on other delta locations in 2023.
If the DBW provides free herbicide treatment, why are we now contributing to the cost?
The DBW saw their budget drastically cut for 2024 and reached out to DCMC to discuss privately funding treatment because they understand our commitment to managing the growth of aquatic vegetation.
What do the DCMC’s governing documents require for lagoon maintenance?
Section 8.23 of DCMC’s Residential Design Guidelines note that “owners are responsible for the remediation and/or removal of any plant growth, trash and debris within the lagoon zone associated with their property, including any areas along the riprap embankment, under the deck, under the dock, and in the water. No visible plant material at the surface shall be permitted and the subsurface shall be regularly maintained and kept weed free."
How much will my assessment increase?
Delta Coves' Developer and DCMC are coordinating to minimize dues increases as much as possible. As of right now, we’re anticipating a $30 per month assessment increase over the next three years. At this time, the developer will subsidize the cost so that the increase is gradual for homeowners. If future testing determines fewer treatments are needed, budget and assessment amounts will be adjusted accordingly.
What is the current cost to hire a service provider to manually remove submersed aquatic vegetation from my lagoon zone?
While service costs may vary, Delta Coves developer hired a service vendor to manually remove submersed aquatic vegetation from the model homes lagoon zones. The service vendor charged $0.82/square foot. The smallest lagoon zone (a 1264 sq. ft. elbow lot) cost $1,036.48 and the largest lagoon zone (a 6,715 sq. ft. tip lot) cost $5,506.36 to clear the vegetation once. Historically, lagoon zones should be cleared 3 to 4 times per year.
When does treatment occur?
The growing season for non-native aquatic vegetation is March through October, with peak growth when temperatures reach 90 degrees. The DBW will begin with one treatment in the Spring. DCMC and the DBW will coordinate to determine the timing of the second seasonal treatment.
Will residents be notified when treatment will occur?
Yes, we’ll share scheduled treatment dates and approximate times in the Delta Coves News emails.
Why is DCMC asking the DBW to treat the lagoon?
State and federal guidelines prohibit the use of herbicides and chemicals within delta waters. The DBW remains the only entity legally allowed to treat delta waters with herbicides.
What herbicide is used?
The DBW treated Delta Coves’ Brazilian Waterweed with Diquat in 2022, and we anticipate the same herbicide to be administered in 2024. The DBW will update the Board should that change.
Is the lagoon safe to swim in after herbicide treatment?
Yes, it is recommended to wait an hour after application.
Do I still need to maintain my lagoon zone and riprap?
Yes. While the herbicide treatment will drastically reduce the need to manually remove the submersed aquatic vegetation, your lagoon zone will still need some touchup maintenance. Residents remain responsible for keeping riprap free of growth.
I recently moved to Delta Coves and haven’t experienced lagoon zone growth. Who can I talk to about this?
Two of your Board Directors, Michael Echeverria and Vignesh Rama, have experience with lagoon zone growth. They are happy to discuss directly with you.