Scouts to clean up Hayden Lake

The Hayden Lake Watershed Association and the Hayden Lake Watershed Improvement District are partnering with Scouting America local troops 222 and 3 starting at 9 a.m. Saturday to remove a key contributor to harmful algae blooms from Sportsman Park on the north end of Hayden Lake.

The cleanup effort of phosphorous will involve the removal of dried plant debris, some of which washed up during spring’s high water, and some of which dried up along the shoreline as the lake level dropped through the summer, a press release said.

Frank Wilhelm, professor of limnology at the University of Idaho, estimates that if the team can remove about 200 20-pound bags of dried plant debris, the project will approach removing up to 20 kilograms of phosphorus. 

With contributions from the HLWA and HLWID, this fundraising event for the scouts is a community partnership that allows scouts to engage in a hands-on activity, "making a tangible difference in the health of Hayden Lake," the press release said.

Tom Yount, HLWID director, said it empowers scouts to take direct action in safeguarding the water quality in Hayden Lake and learn how individuals can contribute to solutions. 

The area has been under a public health advisory since July 10 after the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality confirmed the presence of toxin-producing cyanobacteria.