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TIM GRANTThose living near Noreast Lake say a drainage system installed seven months ago has polluted their lake.
FOREST HILLS - When Lance Arnold fished a bass out of Noreast Lake three months ago, he suspected something was horribly wrong.
The fish he caught had a leech attached to it.
"I grew up on this lake," said Arnold, 57. "I never caught a fish with a leech on it."
Arnold and about 30 other homeowners around Noreast Lake are accusing Hillsborough County's stormwater management department of ruining the quality of life they've enjoyed on the 10-acre body of water.
Some of the lakeside homeowners met with reporters Friday to describe how badly their lake has deteriorated since county workers installed a drainage system about seven months ago that connects Noreast Lake with several other nearby lakes and ponds.
The drainage system is supposed to prevent those lakes from flooding after heavy rains. Instead, the neighbors on Noreast Lake now think the county misled them.
"Our lake is devastated. We are devastated," said Brian Blair, who hosted Friday's news conference at his home. Blair, a former pro wrestler, is a Republican candidate for the County Commission seat being vacated by Jan Platt.
Blair said that when the neighbors met with county representatives a year and a half ago to discuss the project, he asked whether the drainage system might have an adverse effect on Noreast Lake. Blair said he was assured it would not.
"Now we have leeches and water moccasins," Blair said. "Our lake looks like pea soup. It's a shame."
Carlos Fernandes, an environmental scientist who coordinates the county's lake management programs, said Noreast Lake has an algae bloom that needs to be controlled. He said the county has applied for a permit to use an algicide in Noreast Lake.
Fernandes said the drainage system involves five bodies of water that are discharging into Noreast Lake. From there, the water flows to Curiousity Creek and into Tampa Bay.
"After we control the algae, then we can see which lake is causing the problem," Fernandes said. "We also will add more plants to the lakeshore to trap nutrients and stop them from reaching the water and feeding the algae."
The neighbors said in the meantime, Fernandes has advised them to avoid swimming, skiing or eating fish from the lake.
"(The summer) is coming up. Our kids are crying over this," Blair said. "... We want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. This is wrong."
- Tim Grant can be reached at 813 269-5311 or at grant@sptimes.com