LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Despite being Friday the 13th, it was a near-perfect day for anglers on Lake Yale. The boat ramp parking lot was full of trailers waiting for boaters to get back with their catch of the day.
“We did see a lot of bass being caught today, and we caught a few ourselves,” said Carm Moceri. He was one of many boaters who found themselves on the water.
For the last few weeks, Lake County officials have been pouring aluminum sulfate, or alum, into the lake. That’s because it’s being called the “most impaired lake in Lake County.” The aluminum sulfate will combat algal blooms that are popping up more frequently that are caused by high levels of phosphorus.
Justin Elkins with the Lake County Water Authority even compared the phosphorus levels in Lake Yale at times to be the equivalent of a stormwater pond for sewage.
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“The lake has been impaired for many, many years through many practices,” said Elkins. “The Lake County Water Authority, in 2019, voted to basically move forward with a plan.”
The use of alum to clean up water isn’t uncommon. Elkins says it’s used throughout the country.
But if it’s not properly monitored, it could be bad. Back in 2022, Lake Giles in Orlando was treated with aluminum sulfate, resulting in a fish kill.
News 6 asked Lake County officials what they’re doing to make sure that doesn’t happen here.
“We’re doing pre, during, and post monitoring for the five years,” said Elkins. “Not only are we doing water quality sampling at an all-time high that’s never been seen before, [we are] monitoring daily the pH level, the alkalinity, etc.”
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Still, not everyone is sold.
“I mean, it’s not just aluminum sulfate, [I’m] concerned on chemicals in general,” said David Williamson, who is a fishing captain in the area.
When News 6’s Amy Russo asked him what steps he’d take to clean up Lake Yale, he said this: “Let it come back. Let these grasses come back.”
Other people say they plan on doing more research before eating what they catch.
“We’re going to look at it and read it up a little bit,” said Moceri. “Find out what people think. You know, find out what the experts say and then make a decision.”
The project, which costs about $10 million, will be broken down into multiple phases, happening once a quarter until 2030. Elkins says taxpayers won’t be seeing any additional costs from that price tag.