The treatment of Vancouver Lake with expensive algicides is a waste of public resources as it treats the symptoms without correcting the disease — namely an excess of available nutrients. After the alga is treated, it will sink to the bottom for a time and as bacteria attacks it will then float to the surface stinking of rot and killing fish by depriving them of oxygen. Rotting fish and vegetation will not make the swimming beach more attractive.
Long-term solutions must include reducing the nutrients entering the lake from the Salmon Creek and the Burnt Bridge Creek drainages. The only entity gaining from this application is the company paid.
Good science has been done by the U.S. Geological Survey showing the nature and sources of nutrient loading of this lake. This is not a responsible or long-term solution.
