Report Archive

The Sweep

This year, the Sweep had its biggest turnout ever with 100 boats, 280 volunteers and over 2500 lbs of plastics and other debris recovered from Lake Union, Portage Bay and Union Bay. Many thanks to all the houseboaters who turned out to clean-up our water backyard. The Puget Soundkeeper Alliance (PSA) has organized this annual clean-up event for the past eight years. After the Sweep, PSA sent a special thank-you note to the FHA for our continuing financial and volunteer support for the Sweep. The FHA is a prime sponsor of the Sweep in recognition of our responsibility as floating home residents to be stewards of the lake.

Aquatic Weeds Are in the News Again

Chemical aquatic weed control is back in the news: the permit under which aquatic herbicides can be applied to Washington State waters is due to expire. In 2006 the Washington State Department of Ecology developed the five-year Aquatic Plant and Algae Management General Permit, which manages the chemical control of aquatic nuisance plants including such local favorites as elodea and milfoil. On September 1 Ecology will introduce the department's draft revised permit, along with an accompanying fact sheet, by posting both documents on the department's website. Visit their website at www.ecy.wa.gov. The posting will also publicize the public comment period, which will last either 30 or 45 days, and announce the dates of the two public workshops and hearings to be held in October - one in Lacey and the other in Spokane. Following the hearings Ecology staff will revise the draft permit to reflect public input before issuing the final version, which will go into effect on March 1, 2011.

This is a longer version of an article which appeared in the print edition of the Summer 2010 Floating Homes Newsletter.

What are the Benefits?

Conventional Water Heaters Use a lot of Energy.  Solar Water Heaters Save Energy.

An average four person household with an electric water heater needs about 6,400 kilowatt hours of electricity per year to heat their water. Assuming the electricity is generated by a typical power plant with an efficiency of around 30%, it means that the average electric water heater is responsible for about eight tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)  annually, which is almost double that emitted by a typical modern automobile.

Think about how fortunate we are! As houseboaters, we live the life style that people all over the county – and world for that matter – can only dream about. We live in picturesque houseboat communities, on wonderful waterways in the middle of one of the best cities and most scenic regions in the USA.

On May 9th the seventh annual Lake Union, Portage Bay and Union Bay Sweep was held. Once again, the Floating Homes Association was a prime sponsor of this Puget Soundkeeper Alliance event.

Over 260 volunteers, riding in kayaks, canoes and motor boats and walking the shore, collected nearly TWO TONS of trash! Thanks to all the houseboaters who volunteered for this year's Sweep!

There is good news to report. As of July 31 the US Department of Agriculture had trapped and destroyed 209 nutria in Portage and Union Bays, and area residents are beginning to see signs of recovery in severely damaged wetlands.

FHA is again a prime sponsor for the Lake Union/Portage Bay Sweep. Try to set aside Saturday, May 9th to do your part in helping clean our water yard.

Fundraising around the Portage Bay houseboat community last December was not limited to sales of holiday wrap or wreaths. Instead, eight houseboaters spent two weekend days raising funds for a collaborative effort to stop the nutria invasion that is destroying wetlands and damaging shoreline around Portage Bay and adjacent areas.

Volunteers covered 145 houseboats on 35 docks and by December 8 had received contributions totaling $946 from 48 households, or one-third of the community. By the end of January, 36% of Portage Bay houseboaters had participated in raising a total of $1,101 - an amazing show of support and almost double the original goal!

The Milfoil Ladies

A formidable group of houseboaters has become a big factor in the debate in Portage Bay over what to do about the invasion of aquatic weeds.  They recently spent the afternoon together on the SMP Citizen's Advsory Committee (CAC) Harbor Tour on September 9th.  Diana Forman filed this report.

New neighbors may be moving into our houseboat community, but you wouldn't want to invite them to dinner. The newcomers are nutria, which look like "the biggest rat you'll ever see," according to Charles Easterberg of the UW's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Sciences.