Big plans for Kiwanis Lake: Reducing goose population, dredging, new lighting & floodgate
If you grew up in the Greater York area, you know where Kiwanis Lake is located near Farquhar Park. You probably have fond memories of visiting the water feature.
However, over the years, nature – in the form Canada geese and the waste they create – and time have taken their toll on the lake.
Now the 320-member Rotary Club of York – which is dedicated to improving environmental life in York City -- is stepping up to restore and improve the lake at a cost of $125,000 through its appropriately named Preserve Planet Earth Committee.
But, first, some history.
The original plan to create a large, man-made lake where Willis Run flowed through farmland dates to 1911. The plan basically languished until the Kiwanis Club of York was formed in 1917. The club eventually took up the challenge and was the driving force behind the creation of the lake. The lake was created during 1938 and opened in 1939.
A 1945 history of York County reports: “A marshy tract of land bordering Farquhar Park was converted into Kiwanis Lake” by the service organization.
As Aaron Jacobs, chair of York Rotary’s Preserve Planet Earth (PPE) Committee states:
“Kiwanis Lake was a gift to us from a generation a long time ago. This (project) could be our gift to the generations of tomorrow.”
There is a lot of work to be done. Aaron breaks that work into five action plan phases:
- Addressing the wildlife issue
- Reducing existing sediment
- Repairing the flood gate
- Adding new lighting and fountains
- Establishing sustainability in the form of technology to monitor the lake
Most of that is to be accomplished within a year, beginning this month, with some of the projects extending to two years because of their complexity.
In a nutshell, reducing the large Canada geese population will be done humanely and over a period of time to discourage the fowl that have been fouling the water and surrounding area.
A lot of the sediment – up to three and a half feet of it at the bottom of the lake – comes from the geese, but also from upstream pollution and debris washing down stream into Willis Run from of homes, businesses and streets. Without draining the lake and disturbing the fish and turtles that inhabit it, the “muck” at the bottom will be removed or mitigated.
Dissolved oxygen will be introduced to upgrade the water quality.
The flood gates do not work at the lake, causing street flooding during periods of heavy rain. The flood gate controls will be replaced and relocated.
New, technologically improved in-lake fountains and island lighting will be added.
Smart Lake Technology to monitor and sustain the lake will be installed to provide continuous information. In addition, the York City School District’s STEAM Academy and the York Academy Regional Charter School will be adding the lake monitoring to their educational curriculum.
The Rotary Club of York is raising the $125,000 needed for the project. Partners stepping up to the challenge include: The Rotary Club of York, York City, Trola Industries, Inc., Stewart & Tate, The Powder Mill Foundation, First Energy/Med-Ed, Glatfelter Insurance, and the York County Community Foundation. Individual contributions are also being solicited.
Although the Rotary Club of York is tackling the restoration and improvements, the historic name – Kiwanis Lake – will remain.
All that work and money should, indeed, help create new memories for future generations of Yorkers.
About that Statue of Liberty on Kiwanis Lake Island
The eight and half-foot high version of the Statue of Liberty, now on the island in Kiwanis Lake, was created in 1951.
It was a gift to the people of York and Adams Counties from the York-Adams Boy Scout Council.
Its first location was in front of the then-York County Courthouse in the first block of East Market Street.
It was later moved to the Kiwanis Lake Island to simulate the real statue’s location on Bedloe’s Island/Liberty Island in New York.
The statue will mark its 70th “birthday” next year.
Gordon Freireich is a former editor of the York Sunday News. Email: email@example.com.