Resident hit on algae, bait shop, and maintenance

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Commissioners got a polite but firm earful from county lake residents Monday, with blue-green algae leading the list of concerns

John and Sharon Quinn, who bought their house at the lake in April 2014, shared information about a $280,000 aeration system proposal to eliminate algae that John Quinn requested from Medora Corp.

The company recommends placing 10 aerating machines at various points in the lake and its coves to mix and aerate the water to control algae growth.

“We feel like the lake is a valuable asset to the community,” Sharon Quinn said.

She also said the couple paid $3,000 in taxes this year but fears the condition of the water will depreciate the value of their home.

Commissioner Dianne Novak said she acknowledges the problem, but wants to continue to investigate potential solutions for the algae bloom that has made the lake off-limits for swimming in recent summers.

John Quinn said Medora is willing to send a representative to work with the county.

Another lake resident, Kathy Shockley, raised different concerns during public comment time. Shockley gave commissioners a letter outlining her complaints.

Shockley complains that a bait shop no longer operates there and said vending machines for bait are “a joke.”

She also contends lake office hours should be extended during March through October; the public boat dock needs repair; the heated fishing dock needs maintenance; and gravel roads on the east side of the lake have not been maintained.

Shockley said a blue-green algae fix “must be front and center and at the top of concerns for the county lake.”

Lake resident Cynthia Wyatt also gave commissioners a letter outlining her concerns that there has been a lack of consistent policies about applying chemicals and private lawns, clearing of natural habitat such as trees and buffer areas around the lake, inconsistent approval of docks, and disruption of water intake areas.

“Consistent policies that are consistently enforced would prevent trying to fix problems after they happen and create more equity for all involved,” Wyatt wrote.