In response to the 2022 Lake Merritt fish kill, the City of Oakland and partners initiated the Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Pilot Project (Pilot). The Pilot is designed to address excessive algae growth and low dissolved oxygen levels associated with the fish kill.
The first phase of the Pilot is underway and includes: continuous monitoring of dissolved oxygen, and other water quality parameters at Lake Merritt, stakeholder engagement, a review of prior water quality data collected by others at Lake Merritt, and the installation of two devices to increase dissolved oxygen in Lake Merritt. The first of these devices, an aeration fountain, was installed August 15, 2023 near the Pergola by El Embarcadero Avenue and replaces an out-of-service fountain at that location. By mixing air into the water, the fountain will improve dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the Lake, helping to maintain an oxygenated refuge for aquatic life near the fountain. The design and spray settings on the new fountain maximize benefit to wildlife.
An oxygenation device was installed September 27, 2023 and was fully operational October 16, 2023, in the area near where Glen Echo Creek enters the Lake. This device pumps oxygen into the water from the Lake bottom.
Initial planning and monitoring is funded in part through the City’s budget from July 1, 2023- June 30, 2025. Device installation is a project of Oakland’s Capital Improvement Program.
The results of the first phase will inform the scope and need for subsequent work. Oakland’s Capital Improvement Program lists this work as unfunded under the “Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Plan Development and Implementation - Healthy Lake Initiative.” This work will proceed as funding becomes available in future budget cycles and/or through grants.
Success at Lake Merritt will borrow from and inform approaches at other water bodies facing similar threats, threats becoming more common with climate change.
