Lakeside residents interested in renting lake weed prevention mats to clear lanes from their docks to the middle of the lake may now do so from the town.

The benthic mat rental program, approved by the town board May 13, has received final department of environmental conservation approval and is now ready to go, said Town Councilor Bill Zupan.

Benthic barrier mats cover a portion of the lake bottom and prevent plant growth by blocking the sunlight required for plants to grow. They also provide a physical barrier against the spread of macrophytes such as Eurasian water milfoil.

The mats to be used by the Cazenovia program will measure 12.5-by-20 feet each (or 250 square feet) and be rented at a cost of $50 per mat, which includes installation, removal, pickup and storage by the town.

These numbers changed since the original resolution was passed, which called for 12.5-by-50-foot mats at a cost of $125 per mat.

At least two mats will be allowed per landowner, but possibly up to four per landowner depending on how long quantities last, Zupan said. Sixty mats will be available for rental on a first-come, first-served basis. If these mats sell out, another round of mat rentals may occur in late June, Zupan said.

For more information or to rent mats, contact Barbara Houghton, administrative assistant to the town supervisor, at 655-9541.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].