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Board discusses algae problem at Jones Lake, considers stocking tilapia next spring
Summary
Board members described persistent algae at Jones Lake, reported low inflow from an upstream creek and failed chemical treatments, and discussed ordering tilapia for spring stocking (noting tilapia would likely not survive winter and would require removal).
Members spent part of the meeting on water-quality problems at Jones Lake, where chronic algae growth has returned in recent years. Speakers said upstream flow into the lake has diminished (the creek behind the lake is described as "completely bone dry" in the transcript), and past chemical treatments and a commercial lake-management product did not solve the problem.
The group discussed stocking tilapia next spring as a biocontrol strategy; members noted tilapia would probably not survive the winter and would likely need active removal (for example via a fishing event). A nearby supplier (referred to in the transcript as Andrew’s fish farm) indicated tilapia as an option, but board members noted ecological and survival concerns for native species and said stocking should be timed and ordered in advance.
Cost estimates discussed in the transcript were imprecise: one speaker described the figure as "just a little bit over $200," but the transcript did not specify whether that was per stocking, per unit, or an annual operating amount. Members also discussed continuing to try hydraulic or stand-pipe flow adjustments and observed that recent upstream landwork and development may have changed runoff and water-table behavior, contributing to the algae issue.
