Description
Reporting blue-green algae bloom at entrance today, larger amounts. Also it is stuck in cattails... which City has not removed. What are we doing, folks, just our best job at maintaining a toxic swamp now?
The answer, Mayor's Action Center, that you keep referring back to from February 2020, "Update from Public Works: the city is aware of the reported issue and will continue working with all involved parties to help achieve a resolution to this issue."
This is not acceptable, Ask Public Works for a statement answering why hasn't the City done any of the following still, after another year of this...
1.) Adding beneficial bacteria as a treatment to the micro-bubble aeration to aid in the micro-bubble system's effectiveness.
2.) Adjusting and improving the efficiency of the micro-bubble aeration system installed in June 2020 -- by means of analyzing nutrient run-off input loading, sediment leeching, BGA build-up locations, lake morphology, and other factors alongside info previously mentioned/ emailed to City personnel.
3.) Keeping the properly designed micro-bubble aeration system as a permanent running solution to mitigate future lake events and to keep the lake healthier. Just as nearby Renaissance Neighborhood has had since 2016, which the City approved/helped fund.
4.) Removing the conflicting, higher cost, and unproven nano-bubble system and replacing it with more micro-bubble diffusor heads, if needed.
5.) Investigating / testing the lake's sediment & fill material for nutrient loading and leaching into the water body.
6.) Dredging the lake's sediment & fill material, if a properly designed micro-bubble aeration system is still not at its most effective due to possible extreme sediment leaching from the City approved fill project in 2001.
7.) Clearing out invasive cattails to improve lake access, reduce nutrient load, and to reduce the likelihood of toxic blue-green algae being trapped and its toxic dust residue from becoming airborne -- especially at the city's easement and access points, like at the public neighborhood entrance.
8.) In addition to the U.S. mailed letters, a creation of public web-page that allows City statements, data, and any other pertinent information to be posted about Harbor Isle Lake and its situational analysis. So, any interested party can better understand what has been going on or what is being planned.
.... Or are we going to continue to ignore these workable options and what multiple citizens have requested?
harbor isle lake journal website from neighbors has more info on this issue than anything the city has ever provided: https://sites.google.com/view/harborislelakejournal
11 Comments
Acknowledged Customer Support (Verified Official)
anon (Registered User)
Here is a photo of the Harbor Isle neighborhood entrance today, 12/6/2020. More of the same, toxic blue-green algae in large amounts. As of this posting, it is even worse now, with the entire lobe filled with the green paint-like appearance above and smells occurring again.
What is the response from public works answering to why the City has ignored the requests and suggestions above, for years now?
City Engineering "may investigate the problem"? What did the investigation turn up regarding this problem the City's been working towards a solution on, for the past 2 years? One they have refused to explain their engineering rationale of, or answer questions about?
What do the lead City engineers say, who are in charge of this project, to answer why the majority of the above listed, proven, proactive methods of water quality improvement and nutrient reduction have been ignored, despite multiple requests, provided scientific data, research, and case studies that support it?
Why are only reactive methods of temporary chemical treatments occurring, and only after a slew of complaints roll in again? How much time and money has to be wasted, as people's health continues to be at risk from water and air toxin exposures?
Customer Support (Verified Official)
Customer Support (Verified Official)
anon (Registered User)
Here is an update to this acknowledged issue from January 2021. Harbor Isle Lake remains in a state that is encouraging toxic blue-green algae growth-- The same cyanobacteria that have plagued the lake since 2018, have not gone away. This photo, taken today, 8/20/2021, illustrates a larger build-up amount seen at the neighborhood entrance as of late— with again bright green-color streaking— indicative of living photosynthesizing cells.
Mayor’s Action Center 4, please provide who in the City Engineering Department is handling this issue and is in correspondence with you for updates regarding these comments and requests. Mr. Carlos Frey is no longer working for the city, and he was the last known contact in-charge. There is again, no accountability from the City in regards to who is following through on City actions, who is accurately describing and reviewing the history of what’s gone on to employees, City Council, and residents, and who is collecting the data still ongoing to this project and making appropriate informed decisions. Public Works Director, Mr. Claude Tanskersley, continues to avoid questions emailed to him, despite supervising this project.
The City has put an “AlgaeTracker” in the middle of the lake, with the last 3 months, which is supposed to providing real-time tracking data. Yet, the data is nowhere to access or review monthly in reports. Who is getting this data? Who is actually routinely analyzing this data? Is this equipment capturing and notifying the City of the existence of the blue-green algae which has always been most prevalent at lake shorelines where the wind direction causes it to significantly build-up and be the highest risks to humans? Like today’s case?
The blue-green algae is still growing in the lake, and obviously visible. To say, this situation is under control or successful, while sitting in silence at these known facts that state the opposite and ones you’re been made aware of, is not exercising due-diligence whatsoever. To argue, “it looks less bad than before and therefore is fine now”, is only conjecture and merely minimizing the issues that remain unaddressed or uncontrolled after all this time and money spent. Also, where is the thorough and historical data than shows throughout the lake, its water, and its current aeration system design is a stable optimal system long-term?
The collected photo documentation, here: https://sites.google.com/view/harborislelakejournal/Harbor-Isle-Lake-Blue-Green-Algae-Photos
demonstrates the lake and its aquatic environment is no longer being influenced or improved by ineffective algaecide treatments, but the City has still allowed them to happen this year with poor results. In reality, the lake is reacting and dealing with various battling algae types: filamentous algae, toxic microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacteria, and harmful prorocentrum minimum algae-- and no one seems at all interested in wanting to understand what is actually happening in this water body’s case and why. Or even documenting it! Furthermore, there seems to be no interest in wanting to assist or optimize the one method finally put into place: the bottom aeration system, by means of adding additional bottom aeration heads or beneficial bacteria— which have NO negative effect on the water body and could only improve it. Methods that have been utilized elsewhere in the City, but not in Harbor Isle lake’s case. Why not? What is the delay? How is this being proactive? These prior requests still remain ignored, and money is still spent on the past methods, despite the knowledge that algaecides and running nano-bubblers have yielded minimal to no positive results.
The City and Solitude Lake Management continue to fail to document the actuality and length of the lake’s problem, make logical assessments, or even address their shortcomings at providing stable and long-term indicators of better water quality throughout the lake. The mere fact this toxic algae has been around consistent for 3 years, encourages that further investigation should be done, there be better advocacy for thorough and unbiased results, and closer supervision to what is being said and done by contractors. What are the future plans in place for this issue?
Customer Support (Verified Official)
Council Aide District 3 (Verified Official)
St Pete Service Center 1 (Verified Official)
SPTO Admin 5 (Registered User)
Closed SPTO Admin 5 (Registered User)
SPTO Admin 5 (Registered User)