Want to do something? Want quick and easy ways to help out and spread awareness?  Here's 2:

1 -- Fill out the survey, by clicking the button below. The anonymous survey takes 5 minutes or less to complete. Most of the 12 questions are 'yes/no' and checkboxes with a few short response answers to better express your opinions on this Harbor Isle Lake issue. Just press 'submit' at the end of the survey page and your voice is counted. Open to any resident or visitor.

2 -- Compose your own e-mail to the City. You can copy and paste the Letter Template (below) under item #2, or use it as a guide for your concerns and information requests. Then address your e-mail to the City personnel e-mail contacts, listed after the sample letter, on this page.

1. Take the Google Forms Survey 

Please give us feedback on the website and the information provided. We can add your relevant suggestions and record the number of citizens who care about this issue and want appropriate actions taken.  Click the button below to be taken to the survey form page.

Letter Template:

To: Mayor Ken Welch, Mr. Claude Tankersley, Mr. Brejesh Prayman , Mr. Dan Saunders & Engineering Personnel

From: [Your name here]

Subject: Toxic Harbor Isle Lake Action Requests 

I am deeply concerned about the toxic blue-green algae blooms (BGA) that have occurred in Harbor Isle Lake since summer 2018, and the lake's overall poor water quality.  I am not satisfied with the way the City has been handling the situation, or communicating the process for almost 4 years now.  In this time period, more progress could have been made, if accountability, transparency, and problem-solving were at the forefront.

To have legitimate engineering questions and provided scientific information by residents ignored, to have public information delayed for release or never released, to have misleading statements, double-speak, and blame given to residents and those who are concerned, to not have a way to track information being supposedly provided to a voluntary homeowner's association--  these things among others, is not acceptable. 

I am writing you to emphasize my awareness and interest in solving Harbor Isle Lake's toxic BGA problem. I understand that the following items would help solve this problem and improve the lake. I am requesting you to consider and engage in these over-due actions:

• Adjusting and improving the efficiency of the micro-bubble aeration system installed in June 2020 -- by means of analyzing nutrient run-off input loading, sediment leeching, BGA build-up locations, lake morphology, and other factors alongside info previously mentioned/ emailed to City personnel.

• Keeping the properly designed micro-bubble aeration system as a permanent running solution to mitigate future lake events and to keep the lake healthier. Just as nearby Renaissance Neighborhood has had since 2016, which the City approved/helped fund.

• Removing the conflicting, higher cost, and unproven nano-bubble system and replacing it with more micro-bubble diffusor heads, if needed.

• Adding beneficial bacteria as a treatment to the micro-bubble aeration to aid in the micro-bubble system's effectiveness.

• Investigating / testing the lake's sediment & fill material for nutrient loading and leaching into the water body.

• Dredging the lake's sediment & fill material, if a properly designed micro-bubble aeration system is still not at its most effective due to possible extreme sediment leaching from the City approved fill project in 2001.

• In addition to the U.S. mailed letters, a creation of public web-page that allows City statements, data, and any other pertinent information to be posted  about Harbor Isle Lake and its situational analysis. So, any interested party can better understand what has been going on or what is being planned.

• Clearing out invasive cattails to improve lake access, reduce nutrient load, and to reduce the likelihood of toxic blue-green algae being trapped and its toxic dust residue from becoming airborne -- especially at the city's easement and access points, like at the public neighborhood entrance.

Harbor Isle residents have been forced to live with ongoing toxic blue-green algae exposure for over 3 years, with unknown long-term health effects, but growing scientific research that links toxic BGA with highly negative results. For the majority of 2019, no City actions were taken to directly help improve the lake's water quality or to control these toxic blooms. The City didn't even initiate the testing of the water to see what type of algae was in the lake and if it was toxic. How is that watching out for your citizens?

Harbor Isle residents, have done and continue to do their part in managing pollution. This is a much larger problem than that, and it has likely been exacerbated by the City's failure of scientific analysis in 2001, when the lake was filled in as an unproven 'fix' and water quality exponentially degraded. Do not let the mistakes of the past, repeat, when there are proven solutions available. You all are more capable than that. Enough is enough. Intend to live up to the standards you promote in this City. Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

Signed, a very disappointed and extremely concerned resident,

[Names here]

A Harbor Isle Resident for [number of years]

3. Make a Public Complaint Online - SeeClickFix

Report BGA blooms and smells. Voice your concern over delays. Request the petition actions above.

Submit a new request for Harbor Isle, St Petersburg, FL, USA:

https://seeclickfix.com/st-petersburg 

4. Ask for the public information and data related to Harbor Isle Lake

E-mail the above contacts and request any and all info the City has about the lake to review. For example:

 2019 contract made with Solitude Lake Management

The 2018-2020 water quality reports from Solitude, GPI, Janicki Enviromental and any others contracted or collected by the City during the last 3 years or prior.

5. Request Cattail Removal by the City / Remove Cattails in Lake

Remove the cattails growing on your lakefront property - please see the aquatic plants page for detailed info and methods.

Remove other debris that builds at lake's shoreline: floating materials like dead cattails, cattail islands, aquatic weeds, leaves, etc. to reduce nutrient decomposition in lake, prevent BGA scum traps, and maintain your visibility of the water.

6. Refresher Tips on Property Maintenance

All properties in Harbor Isle affect the storm drains which go into Harbor Isle Lake. Be cognizant of your property and its effects. 

• Keep driveways, sidewalks, and street gutters free of yard debris. Rake / sweep and bag the refuse to throw out in a timely manner. Or collect and place debris into contained planting beds as mulch. 

• Run your sprinklers on "Manual Mode", and observe your property perimeter. Water only when needed. Adjust the times to prevent over-watering  of areas unnecessarily. Check for broken sprinklers on a scheduled routine.

Review the document below to see other common ways to reduce run-off:

http://www.stpete.org/city_departments/stormwater_operations/docs/Runoff_Pollution_St.Pete_SP.PDF