Officials with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have posted the first of seven custom-made boats this week on eBay.

The open-patio boat-style craft was built specifically for the recent rotenone treatment at Diamond Lake, just north of Crater Lake.

The minimum bid is $20,000, with all of the proceeds being used to cover the continued costs of recovery projects such as water-quality monitoring, fish stocking and education programs.

Each of the boats was made to carry heavy loads of rotenone and the equipment needed to disperse the biodegradable chemical that is toxic to gill-breathers.

They were used for just a few hours during the September treatment.

Each is a 2007 model 10-by-24 foot, heavy duty alu-minum pontoon work boat.

They were fabricated by Hydrotech Manufacturing of Medford.

Each is equipped with a 2006 Mercury 90 hp, 4-stroke ELEPT outboard motor with electronic fuel injection, power trim/tilt and a 14-by-11-foot three-blade aluminum propeller.

The boats have a maximum capacity of 20 people, a maximum speed of 24 mph, navigational lights and a powder-coated aluminum console.

Each of the utility boats cost Fish and Wildlife $23,800.

Posted: 12|31|06 at 2:12 pm. Filed under: US News.