Expect Fountain City Lake to be dry through November 2017, with the walkway around the lake closed on the same timeline.
Work to construct an artificial wetland in the shallowest part of the lake paused last month so contractor Robert Franks Construction could gather more materials like rock and backfill soil, according to Eric Vreeland, deputy communications director for the city. The lake was allowed to fill during the pause, but later this week the lake will be drained for more wetland work. On Sept. 13, new pumps will be delivered to keep the lake dry for the duration of the project.
Vreeland said the city and the contractor are adding another facet to the project: removing a thick layer of “muck,” or sediment created by overabundant duck feces, from the bottom of the lake.
“The removal wasn’t part of the original work, but it should be an additional improvement to the lake’s long-term water quality,” said Vreeland.
The wetland is the latest project in the city’s push to address excessive algae bloom at Fountain City Lake. Although the city does not own the lake, Knoxville has invested $500,000 in recent years in partnership with Fountain City Lions Club to “fix decades-old structural problems,” said Vreeland. Work included fixing a leaky berm so the lake can fill to the correct depth and repairing the fountain and pump house to better aerate the water.
Once completed, the wetland will help keep the lake water from stagnating in the shallower portions of the lake, and it will act as a filter to remove nutrients contributing to algae bloom.
“We know that many people deeply cherish Fountain City Lake, and we’re taking careful steps to restore the lake in the right way,” said Vreeland.