LIMA — The Lima Public Works Department is attempting to use natural means to combat algae growth in bodies of water in Faurot Park.
Working with the Allen Soil and Water Conservation District, the department’s stormwater division is planting 5,500 submerged plants along the edges of Fingerlady, Cemetery and Skate Ponds in Faurot Park. That, along with the installation of new aeration systems, will help prevent algae growth by keeping nutrients such as phosphorus from getting into the water and by also keeping the pond at a lower temperature with a higher oxygen content.
Additionally, fencing has been installed around the plants, which include such varieties as the blue flag iris and the creeping spike rush, to help them grow a more established root system.
“The reason for the fence is to keep the geese away from [the plants] until the roots get established,” Lima Stormwater Manager Joe Gearing said. “Otherwise, the geese will eat them right up.”
Pumping cooler, oxygen-rich water into the ponds will also help fish by letting them inhabit the entire pond, rather than a cooler layer, and will help foster growth of organisms upon which the fish feed. However, this process will not be instantaneous, and the city is asking for patience from the public when it comes to fishing in the ponds.
“The fence will be up for about a year until we can get the roots established,” Gearing said. “So fishing will be a little more of an obstacle, but we have openings there at the benches where you can still fish.”
The total cost for the project, upon completion, will be about $42,000, according to Gearing. Money from the city’s stormwater fund was used to leverage state grant funding through the Soil and Water Conservation District to finance the project, which will include the plants, the fencing, the aeration systems and signage.
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