An environmental consultant has recommended constant aeration of Lake Catherine and Channel Lake to prevent buildup of algae and other contaminants that threaten to clog the lakes.
Consultant Peter Berrini of Cochran and Wilken Inc. in Springfield based the recommendation on results from the Clean Lakes study.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency study–undertaken with Cochran and Wilken, the Fox Waterway Agency, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey–determined that nuisance levels of blue-green algae and colonization by exotic seaweed threaten the aesthetics and wildlife habitat of the lakes.
A $345,000 aeration system to keep water flowing all year would reduce unwanted plant growth and improve the health of the lakes, Berrini said.
The aeration system is the key to a $597,950 package, he said.
“It’s always a challenge to control water quality when there’s high-density development around a lake,” Berrini said at a recent Fox Waterway Agency board meeting. “But I think these are realistic options.”
Also last week, the board appointed George Divis of Antioch and Jerry Harker of Johnsburg to the agency’s Advisory Committee. The board also created a new Advisory Committee position for a representative of the Chain o’ Lakes Powerboat Association.
