DEP grants to enhance Lakeland lakes: New technology set for trial at Lake Morton

Keeping Lakeland's lakes clean and beautiful

FOX 13's Carla Bayron shares the new technology that is being featured in Lakeland as big cleanup projects are now underway.

LAKELAND, Fla. - The lakes are the main focal points of the city of Lakeland. Major events take place there, such as the 4th of July fireworks show at Lake Mirror, so keeping these bodies of water beautiful is very important.

Betty Johns recently moved downtown, and she enjoys her walks around Lake Mirror.

"I get to enjoy the fragrant roses and the kids playing by the water park," said Johns. "The statues, museum, businesses—just everything. It's beautiful."

What's next:

Lake Mirror is one of three city lakes with excessive nutrient levels that will be cleaned up thanks to a $368,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Stormwater inlet baskets fitted with media cartridges will catch sediment, trash, and debris, and will remove harmful phosphorus and nitrogen.

"Those nutrients fuel algae blooms, so this will help improve water clarity and quality and hopefully create a better ecosystem," said Laurie Smith, the city's Lakes and Stormwater Manager.

The baskets at Lake Mirror will be installed within the next several months.

A second $995,000 DEP grant covers the cost of testing new technology at Lake Morton. Three containers will be installed along the lakeshore that can reduce nutrients and then pump clean water back into the lake.

"It'll allow more native vegetation to take root on the lake bottom, which also helps filter the water and provides some really good snacks for our swans," said Smith. 

Timeline:

The Lake Morton project is expected to be up and running in six months and will operate for two years.

READ: Lakeland Electric first utility in country to pilot liquid nitrogen generation facility

Johns says she's happy the city is keeping a key feature of downtown beautiful.

"The lake could use some cleaning up, and maybe it would encourage people who visit and walk around the lake not to leave their plastic bottles or any unused trash, since there are a lot of trash cans around the area," said Johns.

Lake Hollingsworth is the third lake that will be cleaned up. There, the city will apply a nutrient-reducing sediment compound.

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