Water Quality

Keeping Packanack Lake clean and clear for everyone, even the fish!



About Water Quality

The Mission of Water Quality is not surprisingly to maintain the quality of the water in the Lake. We attempt to balance the needs of the people and the wildlife, which isn't always easy, but the Lake itself is of course our greatest assest so we work hard to keep it beautiful.


FAQ's


The Water Quality Committee oversees the water quality in the lake, but we have an outside contractor called Solitude that tests and treats the water. They add various water treatments to control unwanted vegetation and do the day to day management of the water quality.



There are many factors that effect the clarity of the water such as rainfall, fertilizer use, the amount of sunny days we get, and types of fish in the lake. One of the more important factors is the depth of the lake. Because our lake is shallow, the sunlight easily penetrates to the bottom of the lake which stimulates plant and algae growth. It's the plant and algae growth that causes most of the "greenness" of the lake in the summer.



We could treat the lake and kill all the vegetation, but the fish and other wildlife in the lake would suffer. We are always trying to balance the needs of the people and the ecology.



Deepening the lake might improve the quality of the water, but we can't do it for a couple reasons. The first is cost. The cost to deepen the lake would run into several million dollars which is a non-starter. The second is if the clay that is present just under the surface of the lake bottom was removed the water would literally drain out. The clay can range from about a foot thick plus or minus. Dredging is not a consideration.



MAID stands for Mobile Alum Injection Device. Our MAID system is located in the structure between Carney Park and the beach and it automatically injects Alum into the lake when it's needed. Alum is a chemical that helps sediment bind together so that it will sink to the bottom of the lake resulting in clearer water.

Contact Water Quality

We'd love to hear from you!

water@packanacklake.com