I'm a PSD for Scout Leaders Rescue Squad in Kenosha Wisconsin, and this past Sunday we did a project for the community trying to clean up the Lincoln Park Lagoon. Our plan was to dive, using our search/recovery skills, and remove trash and debris from under and around the pedestrian bridge. We had the water/sediment tested, and the result were a bit scary with the levels of eColi, but we have some hazmat suits and full face masks so we're fully encapsulated. Not risk free, but with a good decontamination, the risks are fairly low.
Well, it turned out to be too damn shallow to actually dive around the bridge. About 4 feet, maybe 5. We just went without fins, and reached down to pull up whatever we could find. The silt/muck on the bottom was like quicksand, and just sucked your feet in making it a chore just to walk. There was so much algae and plant material on the surface that anything we pulled out got covered with a 10 pound layer of this crap. :laughing: We found several bicycles, park benches, steel park trash cans, a bus stop sign, a stroller, and some chairs. Not to mention the trash that wasn't heavy enough to break through the algae layer.
The parks department superintendent was on site observing, and said that he didn't realize how hard it was going to be to trudge through the muck. He also said that the State Department of Natural Resources controls the waterway, but that it's left to the city for maintenance, so he's going to request some assistance from the DNR in helping to further clean up the lagoon, and return it to its original condition if possible. It would be nice to have the State's help. There was a couple of nice write-ups in our local paper, but I can't link to them since you have to have an account. I'd post a copy, but I'm sure there's copyright laws I'd be violating.
I spent about 2-1/2 hours disinfecting, and cleaning my gear afterwards. If you ever need it, Sam's Club sells stuff called OdoBan ( OdoBan® - OdoBan Original Eucalyptus Scent - Odor Eliminator ), for $10/gal, and it's great for this. You can also use it to clean/freshen wetsuits/BCDs.
Here's a few pictures:
1. Site assesment pic-1
2. Site assesment pic-2
3. Dan bringing a kid's chair to shore
4. Dan & Mark retrieving a bicycle
5. The gear cleanup afterwards.
Well, it turned out to be too damn shallow to actually dive around the bridge. About 4 feet, maybe 5. We just went without fins, and reached down to pull up whatever we could find. The silt/muck on the bottom was like quicksand, and just sucked your feet in making it a chore just to walk. There was so much algae and plant material on the surface that anything we pulled out got covered with a 10 pound layer of this crap. :laughing: We found several bicycles, park benches, steel park trash cans, a bus stop sign, a stroller, and some chairs. Not to mention the trash that wasn't heavy enough to break through the algae layer.
The parks department superintendent was on site observing, and said that he didn't realize how hard it was going to be to trudge through the muck. He also said that the State Department of Natural Resources controls the waterway, but that it's left to the city for maintenance, so he's going to request some assistance from the DNR in helping to further clean up the lagoon, and return it to its original condition if possible. It would be nice to have the State's help. There was a couple of nice write-ups in our local paper, but I can't link to them since you have to have an account. I'd post a copy, but I'm sure there's copyright laws I'd be violating.
I spent about 2-1/2 hours disinfecting, and cleaning my gear afterwards. If you ever need it, Sam's Club sells stuff called OdoBan ( OdoBan® - OdoBan Original Eucalyptus Scent - Odor Eliminator ), for $10/gal, and it's great for this. You can also use it to clean/freshen wetsuits/BCDs.
Here's a few pictures:
1. Site assesment pic-1
2. Site assesment pic-2
3. Dan bringing a kid's chair to shore
4. Dan & Mark retrieving a bicycle
5. The gear cleanup afterwards.
