City Park Lake is on track for a major rehabilitation project set to begin in the upcoming months that will lead to extensive work in the area, road closures and anticipated noise.
Residents’ concerns about the lake’s appearance have coincided with parks and recreation and public services staff’s plan to ramp up the lake’s cleaning. The last time the lake was dredged with major repairs was in 1996.
Built in 1936, the lake’s original design depth was eight feet in the creek channel and an average depth of six feet throughout most of the lake. Today the depth is around 4 feet due to the abundance of sediment, Hydrilla (which is the most resistant aquatic species to treatment) and String Algae. Previously the lake has been treated for these invasive aquatic weeds both biologically and chemically annually.
Dragonfly Pond Works won the bid last month to mechanically “dredge” the lake - remove the weeds, sediment buildup and additional soil to increase the depth of the lake. This will also allow staff the ability to make needed repairs to the dam. In addition, the latest plans call for installation of a walkway around the lake and a pier to make the lake a destination for our citizens and visitors to Salisbury.
New trees will be planted to replace the current Willow Oaks and Crepe Myrtles. By removing the current trees, crews can improve the soil with compost and install new trees and lawn to help manage the runoff, which has contributed to the current lake issues.
The current trees also have become a safety hazard as the roots have increased in diameter and are growing on top of the ground, due to the erosion of the soil. Tree removal also will make the lake ADA accessible. The new planting pits will be prepared with a mix of native soils and organic compost so the trees root system have room to grow, expand and absorb nutrients and water instead of the compacted soil of the construction site.
For more information visit www.salisburync.gov/CityLake.