T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY During the most recent city council meeting, Councilor Jeff Schneider told the audience he had been hearing frequently about the condition of the pond at Glenwood Park (pictured) and hoped action could be taken to improve it going forward. According to City Sewer Superintendent Troy McGahuey, it has been a challenge to get algae under control at the lake this year even with two routine treatments and an extra spot treatment.

Located in the southwest part of the community just off of South 6th Street, the Glenwood Park pond is a popular recreation and fishing spot for Marshalltown residents, but for most of the spring and summer of 2024, it has been covered in a thick layer of green algae growth.

During last Monday night’s meeting, At-Large City Councilor Jeff Schneider used his comment period to note that he had been hearing from residents expressing their concerns about the condition of the lake, including during a presentation he gave to a widow and widowers group recently.

“I don’t know that there’s anything we can do about it this year. I’m not asking anybody to do it, but I do think I want to make that a point that we talk about maintenance of our outdoor recreation assets during strategic planning,” he said. “So I just want people to know who keep asking me or haven’t asked me yet. Weather was a challenge this year. I know there were attempts at treating it, but I don’t think anything can be done this year. But let’s try to do better next year as a city to set the example that we’d like to see out of our citizens.”

Mayor Joel Greer responded that a second treatment has been applied, but it “takes a while.” He also said silt has built up from various developments happening in that area, creating a “perfect storm” for the unfavorable water conditions. Schneider added that dredging the pond is part of the long-term capital improvement plan, but it’s still a few years down the line on the schedule.

“I just know a lot of people have been asking, so I just figured I’d put it out here in the public forum,” Schneider said.

Greer said he has received plenty of correspondence about the issue as well, and as a result, he joked that he goes to Hy-Vee “late at night.” City Sewer Superintendent Troy McGahuey, whose department oversees the lake, said the Glenwood and Goldfinch ponds are routinely treated for algae twice annually but admitted that this year has been especially difficult.

“This year was a challenge getting algae under control at Glenwood even with an extra spot treatment. Further chemical application is not advised with respect to aquatic life. I have been exploring other non-chemical/natural options such as manual/mechanical removal methods, natural barley straw bale use, and grass carp introduction,” he said. “I have also had talks with others about dredging, but that may be a very costly method that may not be justifiable. I do plan on bringing the issue to our next Stormwater Advisory Committee meeting for input. Hopefully, we can get the issue resolved and get the pond back to a favorable condition.”

When reached last week, new City Administrator Carol Webb shared similar information and expressed hope that a cost-effective solution could be found without causing a fish kill.

“I also understand there was a fountain in the pond in the past. However, the pump failed. The city has explored replacing the pump in partnership with the townhome association. To truly solve the problem, the pond would need to be dredged, which is a good deal more expensive than treatments ($500,000 range),” she said.

Green algae bloom and E. Coli are common problems in waterways all over Iowa, and area lakes like Union Grove near Gladbrook and Pine Lake in Eldora have frequently landed on ‘Do Not Swim’ lists due to their conditions.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.