City receives no requests to treat Fountain Lake

By Sarah Stultz | Albert Lea Tribune

Published Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Albert Lea city officials said Tuesday they have received no complaints or requests to chemically treat Fountain Lake for excessive algae thus far this year, and it will be up to the members of the Albert Lea City Council to decide whether to do so.

Parks and Recreation Director Jay Hutchison said the city has enough copper sulfate chemical on hand to treat the whole lake once, along with the permit required to apply the treatment.

If the lake is treated, the copper sulfate has to be applied in two parts — half the lake at a time — and there needs to be a period of 10 to 14 days in between the treatments, Hutchison said.

City Manager Victoria Simonsen said she will ask the councilors what they think should be done during the Thursday preagenda workshop.

“But at this point, we do not have plans to treat it in the next week,” Simonsen said. “If we can hold off, that would be great, as I doubt that we will have the funds to buy the chemicals next year.”

The question of whether to treat Fountain Lake for excessive algae has been the center of much controversy in recent years. The issue comes up each July shortly after Independence Day.

Last year, council members voted to let the lake go untreated in August, but they stated they wanted to work with the Shell Rock River Watershed District to develop a plan of action for further treatments.

At that time, Watershed District Administrator Brett Behnke said he did not oppose the treatment of the lake; however, he said it’s not the responsibility of the watershed to do so. He noted the watershed’s duty is water quality, not temporary appearance.

The copper sulfate in possession of the city was left over from a prior treatment.

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