(STORY IMAGE:KHQ.COM)
SPOKANE, Wash. -If you’ve been to Manito Park on a regular basis, you may have noticed the Mirror Pond has been quite murky.
The city of Spokane is well aware of this issue.
Garrett Jones, parks planning and development director, says that green hue comes from algae blooms. The bloom happens with the water is too warm, and it also forms from duck feces. For a while, the city dealt with people overfeeding the animals, but Jones says with increased signage and speaking to people face to face, it has helped. But that’s not the only issue.
“Right now, I think circulation and the lack of oxygen in the water is the number one contributing factor,” Jones says.
The city has put in a temporary solution. There’s a pilot program using a filter to try to clear up the water. But, the long-term solution will require more discussion. They’re looking to put in a circulation system, but the design hasn’t been completed for it. They are looking at the possibility of turning it into a reservoir for irrigation purposes, which would help flush out the old water and bring in new water.
In the meantime, they are working on other steps to help decrease the pollution. They’re working to put in trees to help shade the pond more, stabilizing the bank, and adding aquatic plants to the sides of the pond.
They’ll begin discussions for the next step of the plan sometime in the fall or winter.