Our lake is our biggest and most beautiful asset and shouldn’t be treated carelessly by homeowners dumping garbage into the lake or allowing their landscapers to use the lake as a free dumping ground. Please tell your landscapers that it is not alright to deposit or blow any bush, tree trimmings or grass into our lake.
Please remind your landscapers to contain your trimmings and trash when working near the lake and to not blow debris into the lake. This extra organic material is not healthy for our lake. As it decomposes, it provides nutrients that promote the growth of unsightly aquatic weeds. All lakeside homeowner’s vegetation needs to be trimmed away from the lake so that there are no bushes, vines, or trees overhanging the lake or touching the water.
Many homeowner’s trees are starting to cause problems with the lake wall as they were planted too close to the lake wall and have grown to be a problem. “Volunteer” palms have seeded themselves close to the lake wall in several places. These absolutely need to be removed before causing serious lake wall damage. Homeowners will be responsible for repairs if those trees in question cause damage. Please walk around your property and see if you have any vegetation that would potentially be a problem. Some of you will be getting letters regarding vegetation that needs to be removed or cut back. Please do not ignore these notifications; this is a serious matter and it is the homeowners’ responsibility to act quickly to resolve this issue.
There has also been an increased number of floating bottles, cans, and plastic bags. Careless dumping can become a big expense to the association and to individual homeowners. Let’s all do our part to keep our waterways clean and safe. This kind of trash can damage our lake circulation pumps as well as being visually unappealing.
Branches, glass bottles, garbage in general can also be a hazard to boats, causing damage to propellers and motors. Our lake has several large circulating pumps for the express purpose of moving water around the lake. Pumps have had to be pulled and repaired due to damage sustained by debris that was drawn into the impellers. Please be mindful of the need to keep our lake clean.
As the warm weather is upon us, I see homeowners are enjoying our pool area more and more. It’s wonderful to see so many families using our facilities. I want to urge everyone that, even when there is a lifeguard on duty, parents need to be engaged and observant and keep an eye on their children. We need to stay safe around water.
Please note that the Maricopa County Health Department does not allow eating or drinking in the pool itself, however you may have food or drinks in the seating area and under the ramadas. No glass, please.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me; 480-332-0050.
Christine
We are currently experiencing a Golden Algae bloom, which is responsible for the dead fish floating around the lake. We are not the only lake experiencing an outbreak. Several lakes in our immediate area are experiencing golden algae blooms as well.
Our lake doctor, Dr. Rick Amalfi, has been here to observe and test the lake. He and I are keeping an eye on the situation and plan on treating the lake again next week. We are diligently scooping out fish every day. Pease be patient as we work on the clean up.
I have had calls about the dead fish and floating algae, so I asked our lake doctor to write a letter to our homeowners addressing our current situation and what we are doing about it. Golden algae is something we have lived with for several years as well as many other urban lakes have. We are not alone in this situation. We have a good protocol in place for addressing this problem and all I ask is for homeowners to be patient while we work through this bloom.
Here is Dr. Amalfi's letter to me.
Christine:
I understand that several residents of the community are unhappy with the condition of the lake and are looking for an explanation. Please allow me to review what is happening in the lake, as well as at other urban lakes in the immediate and surrounding areas, and what we have done and plan to do.
Remaining weeds: Several herbicide applications were made using appropriate products designed to kill the weeds in the lake, sago pondweed. Dye was also added on numerous occasions to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the deeper water to inhibit plant growth. The last herbicide applications were made in early autumn, at the end of the period when water temperatures are still conducive to uptake of the chemicals. The chemical often causes the dying plant to dislodge and float to the surface. Because the air and water temperatures are reduced, natural breakdown is quite slow, and the debris tends to collect in downwind areas. Additionally, because of golden algae, the population of White Amur (weed-eating fish) has been very difficult to maintain and impossible to increase. Additional White Amur were added to the lake several months ago. They are sterile fish (required by State law) and do not reproduce. They are highly susceptible to the toxin produced by golden algae, and we have experienced major losses in the past and we are experiencing losses now.
Golden Algae: Yes, the lake once again has golden algae. We performed a pro-active treatment at The Lakes of Tempe several weeks ago, but the longevity of such treatments is sometimes relatively short. The alga can form protective cysts and re-establish after the algaecide has precipitated and is no longer effective. The Lakes of Tempe community is not alone. Several lakes in the immediate area have golden algae and have lost hundreds of fish. Two west-side community lakes have also had positive golden algae tests.
What causes the golden algae to occur in some lakes and not others is unknown. The alga may have requirements for certain water chemistry that is found in some lakes and not others. Conversely, the alga might be naturally excluded by one or more factors in some lakes and these factors may be absent in lakes where it survives and flourishes. Although many researchers are working on the cause and elimination of the problem, no definitive answers exist.
Golden algae can enter the lake via birds, ducks, the water source, and by transfer through contaminated (exposed to a lake with golden algae) boats and fishing equipment. Additionally, as noted above, golden algae can form chemically-resistant cysts that can remain dormant until environmental conditions are re-established for survival and growth. The simultaneous presence in three lakes within a few mile radius suggests it may be in the canal water or being distributed by waterfowl that frequent the lakes in the same area. Operation of aeration systems, fountains, or circulation pumps appear to have little or no impact on the golden algae. It has been found in lakes supplied with canal water, treated wastewater, surface water (lake and river), and groundwater even including well water and recharged and recovered wastewater. The toxic alga has broadened its temperature tolerance and salinity range over the past 12 years. Salinity seems to no longer control where it can develop, and we can find it throughout the year with the exception of July and August when water temperatures are extreme. It is adapting.
Response: We are doing everything we can to minimize adverse effects of nuisance algae, toxic algae, submerged weeds, and midge flies. Christine and I have been in constant communication to minimize delays in response to any issue. She has been very supportive and responsive to any material resources we require. Algae outbreaks and weed growth have been addressed by physical (dye), chemical (algaecide/herbicide), and biological (fish) management, midge flies are monitored and addressed by fish stocking and larvicide additions, and water is constantly monitored for presence of golden algae with treatments made to eliminate it from the water. When practical, fish are the preferred biological management method for weeds and insects in preference to chemicals. Please note that there is no known biological control of golden algae.
We plan to treat the lake next week for reduction or elimination of golden algae. We are also evaluating use of an early season herbicide that can be effective for an entire growing season, so long-term weed issues can be avoided even with limited White Amur.
Please remember that these issues are common to all lakes including natural lakes. A lake's response to natural biological disturbances becomes exaggerated in a small, artificial system. Issues tend to be more noticeable in urban lakes because they are in our backyard and constantly noticed. All lakes, natural or artificial, can be prone to odors, algae blooms, toxic algae, insect infestations, and fish kills too. These are unfortunately the occasional downsides to having the beauty, serenity, and recreational resource of a lake outside your door.
Respectfully,
Rick Amalfi, Ph.D., C.L.M.
Christine