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Residents Say Herbertville's Godfrey Lake In Dire Need Of Cleanup
By Catherine Galioto
As children, they remember swimming in its cool waters, playing on its shores and skating on this frozen over lake.
But now that's just a memory. Residents recently complained to the township council that Godfrey Lake, located in the Herbertville section of town, is deteriorated, no longer the recreation spot it once was. They described a swamp, filled with garbage and overgrown grass.
The problem is, it's not a township lake.
In fact, the township is unsure of who exactly owns the lake and how long the list of owners is.
Township Administrator Scott Pezarras said the lake is owned by a private association, like a homeowners association. He said township staff are looking into a quicker and less costly way to identify the members of the Godfrey Lake Association.
As a private lake, the association is jointly overseen by its members. A property owners' search could cost several hundred dollars for each owner.
Pezarras said it could be the case that, due to the condition of the lake, the association is no longer active and its members could be deceased, adding to the burden of figuring out exactly who is in charge.
After that it's a question of whether the township wants to assume control of the lake, another process that can be troublesome and costly, according to Pezarras. He compared it to a private entity discovering previous owners had toxic materials and then asking the township to take over the property in order for it to be cleaned up.
However, resident Melanie Briggs said the details aren't important. She just wants someone to figure out how to make the lake less disgusting.
Township council members agreed the lake is in disrepair.
Council President Stephen Acropolis said he remembers Godfrey Lake and hopes it could return to the condition he remembered it in. As a child, he remembered how the lake would be drained in order to haul out larger pieces of garbage.
In the spring, the township announced it would add vegetation control chemicals to the lake. Black Lagoon Pond Management, of Hamilton, is the contractor hired to control aquatic vegetation in Godfrey Lake and Brick Lake.
"For years, vegetation overgrowth has damaged the health of these lakes and caused them to look like eyesores," said Mayor Daniel Kelly in a prepared statement. "This program should restore the health and beauty of the lakes and the neighborhoods they are located in."
Black Lagoon Pond Management identified an infestation of the aquatic invasive weeds fanwort and parrotfeather in Godfrey Lake, which the township said is not indigenous to the area and are introduced to bodies of water from fish tanks.
The chemicals will include two rounds of herbicide.
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