‘Bio-balls’ get high marks in fighting creek algae

Roelkey Myers, the city’s director of parks and recreation, said after two months of use, the initial results show success. The city invested $5,200 for a pilot program, trying out the devices in Carroll Creek and in Whittier Lake, which also has problems with large volumes of algae.

‘‘In the creek, there are still little things floating, but not the huge, green mass of algae that looked as if you could walk across it,” Myers said. ‘‘I don’t see that and we can attribute that to the ‘bio-balls.’ I’m pleasantly surprised so far.”

Myers’ outlook is not so rosy at Whittier Lake. There, three of the larger, basketball-sized devices are being used monthly, but the algae persist. He said that the department will perhaps use more ‘‘bio-balls” in that area as the weather heats up, but will also seek other treatment solutions.

The plan, Myers said, is to continue using the ‘‘bio-balls” through October, switching them out once a month. Since the devices work best in the hot weather, the city will stop using them in the late fall and winter months.

The fiscal 2009 budget for the parks and recreation department has $12,720 set aside for more devices at both Whittier Lake and along the Carroll Creek Linear Park.

Mayor urges residentsto be water aware

In late November, Mayor W. Jeff Holtzinger (R) lifted four months of water restrictions in the city, forewarning that without adequate snowfall in the winter to recharge groundwater sources, Frederick could be in trouble again.

The ban was based on a consent order the city has with the Maryland Department of the Environment - the city must limit how much water it takes from the Monocacy River when the river’s flow falls below 50 cubic feet per second at the Jug Bridge stream gauge.

The river provides nearly 20 percent of the city’s water; the rest comes from Linganore Creek.

After a relatively mild winter, the mayor says things are looking good so far, with stream readings of between 500 and 370 in the last week. The highest recent reading was 3,580 cubic feet per second on the morning of June 4.

‘‘So far, it looks like I’m wrong,” Holtzinger said. ‘‘We’ve gotten some good rain ... and if we can keep getting that rain into July and August, we may be in good shape.”

That does not mean, however, that Holtzinger is advising residents to waste water.

‘‘Voluntary restrictions are forever,” he said.

‘‘That means from now on ... no matter what, we need to conserve. Water supply is something I think we take for granted.”