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Stillwater contractor outlines lake treatments, urges community steps to curb nutrient runoff
Summary
Steve Nelson of Stillwater reported on recent chemical and mechanical treatments in East Lake and West Lake, cited high nitrogen and phosphorus in East Lake, and urged shoreline buffers, fertilizer-reduction outreach and a possible one-acre sediment trial; the committee asked for cost estimates and monthly reports listing chemicals used.
Steve Nelson, a Stillwater representative, told the Town of Sunset Beach Environmental Resource Committee on May 20 that recent treatments have changed plant populations in the town's Twin Lakes but that nutrient-driven algae remains a problem.
Nelson said he began treating pond grasses and sago pondweed in early March with fluridone (a slow-acting herbicide) and followed up in late March and early April. He reported that many submerged plants have broken down in East Lake while West Lake currently shows better clarity but has localized filamentous algae near shore. Nelson said he also treated shoreline macroalgae and water hyacinth in select areas and that aeration and fountains have helped in some ponds.
Nelson said recent water sampling found elevated phosphorus and nitrogen in East Lake, conditions that feed algal growth. He described options the committee has discussed before: targeted nutrient-remediation products that bind phosphorus and nitrogen in sediments, limited one-acre pilot studies to measure effectiveness, continued aeration, and community education to reduce fertilizer runoff.
Committee members pressed Nelson for specifics: which chemicals were used (Nelson said he would add the chemical names to monthly reports), how close spraying reaches the shoreline (Nelson said he treats up to the shoreline and chooses product and timing to minimize drift), and whether sampling is frequent enough to show trends (Nelson said sampling has been roughly annual). He also said he could provide cost estimates for a one-acre remediation test and the nutrient-binding products used.
Chair Kim Wheaton asked staff to collect any prior cost or grant documentation that had been lost during administrative transitions. Several members recommended outreach to homeowners around the lakes (phosphorus-free fertilizer guidance and shoreline buffers) and discussed whether options such as grass carp would be suitable (Nelson said salinity and predators such as alligators reduce the viability of grass carp in some ponds).
The committee did not approve new funding at the meeting but asked Nelson to provide: a) a one-page cost estimate for a sediment pilot and nutrient-remediation products, and b) monthly treatment reports that include the product names, so council can consider budget requests and grant applications.
