Muddy Lake Forest Lake

Mobile Bay Lake Forest Lake Forest Lake is shrinking. The Lake is filling up with dirt!

by Jene' Young

Published: Tue, September 16, 2008 - 4:25 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, September 16, 2008 - 4:45 pm CST

Lake Forest Lake has changed colors over the years. Today it's the color of mud.
Tony Tackson has lived along the lake since the late 80s.
"It looked real good, then all of a sudden I could see the dark water coming in, and I knew it would be a problem then."

That dark water was sediment, or dirt, pouring into the Lake Forest Lake.
"This lake is eaten up with mosquitoes, it's standing water, it's bad."

John Peterson also lives in Lake Forest. He is the President of the Homeowners Association.
He says the dirt or sediment is coming from nearby creeks.
"Our lake acts like a sediment trap of some sort. It has been that way for 30 years."

David Yeager shows me satellite pictures from the sediment pouring in Mobile Bay. It’s not a new problem.
“Those satellite pictures didn't impact a particular person. Today, the folks that are living next to this lake, the folks that are actually sitting around the shore side of D’Olive Bay, it's beginning to impact their quality of life."

The City of Daphne is trying to solve their sediment problem with Ashley Campbell. Campbell surveys construct sites and will soon write tickets to people who are not controlling their sediment.
She says that they monitor sediment with land use ordinances, but dirt is still spilling from Lake Forest Lake into Mobile Bay.

David Yeager says this sediment problem may take five years to solve! He says it's going to take a lot of community and business support.
If you would like to participate, there are two public meetings Wednesday September 17th at the new Daphne City Hall. The first starts at 3 pm and the second starts at 6 pm. The phone number for Daphne City Hall- 251-621-9000

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