Oakland Lake undergoing fix

From the Daily News:

OAKLAND LAKE Park is finally getting the face-lift it deserves.

The city Department of Environmental Protection is close to completing the first phase of a $3million, five-part project to clean up the park, reduce erosion and improve the lake's water quality.

Several years ago, the city installed storm sewers, which stopped the flooding and erosion.

"All this storm water used to run into the ravine," said Dana Gumb, director of the Staten Island Bluebelt for the DEP, who is overseeing the Oakland Lake project. "It was gouging out steep slopes. There was lots of erosion, and sediment was flowing into the lake."

That sediment contained phosphorus, which was essentially fertilizing the lake. As a result, a number of algae blooms grew there.

In addition, the land was being choked by phragmites and other invasive plant species.

"The natural systems got disrupted over the years," said city Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "They are building a new walking path and overlook that will allow people to walk through the ravine. They are getting rid of the invasive species. These are really good first steps."

Crews have so far removed 43 invasive or dead trees from the site, along with 20 cubic yards of car parts and 100 cubic yards of concrete.

A new entrance is planned for the 56th Ave. side of the park, and some sections will get new fencing.

Work on all five sections of the park should be completed by next spring, DEP officials said.