Environment
Car Death of Black-Necked Swan Leaves One Adult Left
Lakeland’s last adult black-necked swan, a male, is tending a nest and its one egg after a car hit and killed his female mate Saturday. That egg and four more in an incubator may determine the success of the city’s six-year effort to perpetuate its black-necked swans.
Foggy Day in Lakeland Town Yields to Swan Roundup
Fog delayed the start of Lakeland’s 39th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday; after it lifted the Parks and Rec boat crews were able to capture all 77 swans for their yearly physical checkups, which are being performed today by My Pets Animal Hospital. Watch Fox 13’s Ken Suarez get a net around one of them in this video. And isn’t that a pretty one that posed for LkldNow in the picture to the left? Facebook galleries: Tuesday roundup | Wednesday checkups
High Metal Levels Seen in Water Samples Near Coal Storage
Water samples collected from monitoring wells near Lakeland Electric’s coal ash storage area showed levels of arsenic above federal drinking water levels and lithium above groundwater protection levels, The Ledger reports. The utility said it’s taking corrective action and there’s “little to no risk to the public.”
County Cites BS Ranch in More Odor Violations
The battle over bad smells around BS Ranch in east Lakeland continues. Polk County code enforcers filed five new notices of odor violations against the compost/soil manufacturing company this month. BS Ranch’s lawyer responds that complaints come from a small number of opponents and that other nearby operations are causing odors.
Pending Project Would Help Clean Up Lake Hunter
Drivers on Sikes Boulevard may soon notice construction work in the wetlands area south of the RP Funding Center.
The wetlands are slated to be cleared of invasive vegetation and three ponds built as part of a stormwater filtration system; it’s being created to reduce harmful nutrients, trash and sediments flowing into Lake Hunter, said Laurie Smith, manager of the city’s lakes and stormwater division. More
Cygnet Gone: Baby Black-Neck Swan is Missing
Lakeland’s first baby black-necked swan in years went missing Wednesday night, hours after being placed in a holding pen on the southern shore of Lake Morton. While the city parks director lamented, “It’s very disappointing that someone would do this,” police said they’ve found no evidence of a crime and suggested a predatory animal could be the culprit.
Lakeland Will Continue Limited Plant Control in Lakes
The city of Lakeland will continue limited spraying to control invasive plants in lakes even as a temporary moratorium halts the bulk of herbicide use in Lakeland lakes, city commissioners were told this morning. More
Circle B’s Alligator Alley Remains Closed as Birds Return
Migrating birds are already returning to Circle B Bar Reserve, but it will be a bit longer before nature lovers can hike the popular Alligator Alley trail beyond the gazebo on Lake Hancock. County officials say it will be about three weeks until they hear from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about whether they can restore parts of the shoreline eroded by Hurricane Irma. After the work is approved, restoration work will take at least three months, possibly longer depending on rainfall.
Raw Sewage Spills Into Lake Parker
Residents were warned against fishing and swimming in Lake Parker today after up to 400,000 gallons of raw sewage poured into the west side of the lake near Valencia Street and Lake Parker Drive. The spill was caused when tree stump removers accidentally broke a pressurized sewage line. It will be Friday morning before the extent of damage is calculated, and city officials said they expect vegetation in the spill area to minimize long-term environmental damage.
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