Replacing the old fountain
One year after a harmful algae bloom killed thousands of creatures at Lake Merritt, the city installed a new device near the Pergola and Colonnade. The prior decorative fountain had been removed while clogged and was not running during the 2022 crisis.
The new unit is a surface aerator designed to agitate the lake surface and increase dissolved oxygen. Eli Kersh of LakeTech helped install it and described it as simple to maintain and low cost relative to the old fountain.
Wildlife and pilot planning
Lake Merritt Institute executive director James Robinson said the aerator is visually pleasing and appears to attract wildlife, including brown pelicans feeding on fish near the circulating water.
Kersh and the city planned September installation of oxygen saturation cylinders in the Glen Echo arm near Children's Fairyland. Data gathered over the prior year informed the pilot to improve water quality, especially during red tides.
2023 bloom status
As of the August 2023 article, Robinson had not seen Heterosigma akashiwo in Lake Merritt though the algae was detected elsewhere in the Bay. Both Robinson and Kersh noted blooms can intensify within days, so additional research and interventions remain priorities.