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Volunteers make cleanup of this lake their mission

Hundreds of volunteers make it their mission to clean Lake Seminole as part of the Great American Cleanup, which goes through May.

By MARLON A. WALKER
Published March 8, 2006

SEMINOLE - Amid the trash, Henry Burns got to meet people in his community.

Burns, 72, a retired construction worker, moved to Seminole from New Jersey last year. The Lake Seminole cleanup was one of the first big events in which he has participated. And he got to help beautify his community.

"I just thought it was something I could help out," he said Tuesday.

Volunteers bagged and hauled off tons of trash over two weekends as part of the effort, which was organized by the county and Keep Pinellas Beautiful. Bill Sanders, Keep Pinellas Beautiful's executive director, said hundreds of volunteers collected nearly 18 tons of debris around the lake.

"This is our mission," he said. "This is the first time in 10 years that we've had the opportunity to do this. We're real proud of the people who turned out."

Sanders said the success of their cleanup is a good start for the Great American Cleanup, which goes on through May.

Since it was created in the '40s, the lake has been steadily contaminated with fertilizers and pesticides, contributing to the tons of muck that settled on the lake's bottom, said Kelli Levy, the county's environmental program coordinator. A management plan giving the lake a $7-million facelift seeks to reverse the damage. In January, the lake was lowered so muck could be scraped off. The heavy rainstorm in early February filled the lake back up. It was lowered again.

Now, with the debris and muck out of the way, Levy said the county is focusing on the rest of the project's first phase, which includes restoring the Park Boulevard shoreline and refilling the lake at the end of the month. Once permits come through, the county will set up four stormwater treatment facilities. Phase 2 consists of adding two more stormwater treatment facilities.

Fertilizers and pesticides had found their way to the lake through untreated stormwater runoff. But Levy said she sees those problems coming to an end.

"After all is said and done," she said, "I see a healthy lake that can support all the uses we want for it."

Marlon A. Walker can be reached at 727 893-8737 or mwalker@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 8, 2006, 01:42:19]