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CLOGGED UP:
Birds were happy to swim on Lake Albert yesterday, but boat users say the extensive red weed means they cannot go out on the lake.
Picture: Kieren L TillyPhoto:
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While Lake Albert users call for action to clear up red weed, council says ‘No point,it will only grow back’
COUNCIL has no plans to clean up Lake Albert, even though boat users say they can no longer use it because of widespread red weed.
Wagga City Council’s natural environment and regulatory services manager, Mark Gardiner, said removing the weed would be expensive and only a temporary measure.
“Manually removing it would be at a significant cost and the weed would grow back, so it’s just a short-term solution anyway,” he said.
Local residents said they have never seen the lake so full of weed.
It prevented boat users from going out on the lake on the weekend, despite warm weather.
Wagga Boat Club manager Brendan Cotterill said the condition of the lake was “very ordinary” and the weed was clogging boat motors.
“There have been a couple of boats that have had their engines cooked,” he said.
Mr Cotterill said it had been about five weeks since the lake had been used for water-skiing, and something had to be done to improve the lake.
In October, Mr Gardiner said the growth was Red Milfoil, a harmless water weed, and had developed because of low water levels.
He said the amount of weed would reduce when the lake filled with more water.
“The main issue out there is the water level and that’s not going to change overnight,” Mr Gardiner said.
Mr Cotterill said the Boat Club was losing money because it could no longer run activities on the lake.
But the weed was not affecting water quality, and ducks and pelicans were swimming at the lake yesterday.
“The results of the last testing are in and they’re fine,” Mr Gardiner said.
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