Plans for possibly dredging the University and City Park Lakes will be discussed during a meeting held today at the Energy, Coast and Environment Building Atrium.
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Dredging has been discussed in the past few years as the depth of the lakes continue to shrink because of increasing sediment. Today the lakes average at three feet deep.
As the lakes continue to become more shallow, the waters impose a pending health risk for the animals that live there – as well as the people who frequent them.
According to WBRZ, shallow water causes the growth of organisms that deprive the water of oxygen, killing fish and other aquatic animals. As the lakes become more shallow, the water will become more stagnant, offering a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the lakes could be dredged to approximately six feet and be reinforced with a bulkhead to aid drainage and prevent the problem from recurring. The sediment removed from the process will be placed behind a wall to create more land for recreational and natural use. According to WBRZ, the project is anticipated to cost about $10 million and will be funded by the state government.
The first attempt at dredging the University lakes began in 1979, but was brought to a halt after submerged stumps made the project too expensive to complete with the available funds.
—Contact Wallace Levy at [email protected]