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The Herald 7 June 1968

Lake Mcllwaine is becoming extremely dangerous for boating and people in boats on the lake should use extreme caution, the director of National Parks, Mr JE Robinson had just spent several hours on the lake with Mcllwaine National Park warden, Mr I Miller, to examine the possibility cutting reeds from the National Parks’ shore-line, Mr Robinson confirmed that this action would be taken, and that stumps from ant-hills now showing in the lake would also be cleared.

Mr Miller said the water level of the lake has already dropped 6ft, 11in. and that could yet drop another 8ft. At present it is falling at 3½ in a week.

Like nearly everyone else on the shore-line, the Department of National Parks is having boating difficulties. Its harbour has dried out and the jetty has had to be extended. This, too, will soon be on dry land and as a result, the Department is moving its boats a mile south, to deeper water.

Mr Miller said that the only safe boating water on the lake now lies between Mazoe sailing Club and the dam wall, and along the old river course in the centre of the lake.

In most other parts, new obstructions-rocks, ant-hills and sandbanks-are springing up.

Mr Robinson added that it was a wonderful opportunity for clubs around the shoreline to deepen their harbours. “They won’t get another chance like this for 20 years-we hope,” he said.

Mr Miller said that the last time the lake’s water level was so low was eight years ago, when it was let down artificially for clearing purposes. This, however, was for a short time and just before the rainy season. “It has never been this low naturally,” he said.

Asked about a suggestion that the whole shoreline should be cleared of reed, Mr. Robinson said that this would not be practicable.

It would not greatly help to reduce the bilharzia risk because new reeds would soon grow. Large sums of money are already being spent on keeping down water hyacinth on the lake.

Lessons for today

• Oxygen is essential to the quality of water in a lake and important for animals and bacteria that decompose organic matter. However, oxygen supply in a lake is disrupted due to certain conditions such as over-baiting, sewage discharge, or plant growth.
• Never dump waste into a storm drain. Storm sewers run directly to rivers and lakes and this will affect the state of the water in the lake
• Unwanted aquatic vegetation and algae can have a big impact on the beauty and ecological balance of lakes.
• Algae and lake weed control is particularly important to the health and quality of any aquatic ecosystem.
• Probably one of the simplest ways to keep our lakes, dams and rivers clean is to simply avoid littering. Rain water will carry all the litter into rivers which will ultimately be deposited in dams and lakes.