Trying To Keep From Getting Dirty By Practicing Good Habits When I Walk Around Fosdick Lake

The temperature in the outer world at my location currently is colder than when I left my abode for my daily constitutional.

With some cloud action blocking direct sun action I thought I'd go to the Tandy Hills today. And then I saw the temperature on my computer based temperature monitoring device indicated it was 88 degrees, with the 68% humidity and no wind blowing making it feel like 101.

So, I opted out of overheated hill hiking and instead drove to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdick Lake.

As you can see in the picture, Fosdick Lake is looking peaceful today. And sort of jungle-like.

Fosdick Lake has grown greener since my last visit. With thick green algae returning to the north end of the lake.

Today I looked at the Fosdick Lake informational sign and noticed verbiage I'd not previously noticed, or remembered noticing, which seems to be making excuses for Fosdick Lake's sad condition.

Under the question "HOW DO LAKES GET DIRTY?" we are told "When it rains, water flows down the street and collects anything in its path, like cigarette butts, fertilizer and pesticides, litter, leaves, grass clippings and dirt, oil from leaky cars, pet waste and soap from cars washed in driveways."

Then we learn that "All that dirty water flows into the nearest storm water drain in the street, then travels underground and ends up in the nearest stream, river or lake. This polluted water not only looks bad, it causes harm to fish and plants."

Finally, to prevent this scourge we are told we should "PRACTICE THESE HABITS, keep cigarette butts inside your car and then throw away properly, use fertilizers and pesticides when rain is not expected and follow product instructions, pick up litter, leave grass clippings and leaves on your lawn - they add nutrients to the soil, clean up fluid leaks from cars, scoop up what your pet leaves behind, wash your car on the lawn or at a commercial car wash."

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Well, all that is well and good, but it all leaves me perplexed. Why is it small lakes in other urban zones do not have the type pollution problem that plagues Fosdick Lake?

Green Lake in Seattle, for instance. Green Lake is located in a much more densely populated area than Fosdic Lake. Highway 99 runs by Green Lake's west side. Restaurants and stores and apartments ring the lake. Thousands of people walk, jog and roller blade around Green Lake daily. This time of year hundreds of people go swimming in Green Lake daily.

So, what is it about Green Lake that ends up with that lake not suffering the woes that Fosdick Lake suffers?

Methinks the answer is not to be found on the Fosdick Lake informational sign in Oakland Lake Park.