A news article in the Baltimore Sun put a sensational spin on the opinions of
various local individuals about the overall health of the lake and its attraction to homeowners and visitors.

The DNR has confirmed at two public meetings that there is no cause for alarm and that the lake is fairly healthy. At a public forum on August 7 DNR Secretary John Griffin stated that the lake is “generally OK”. On August 21 John Wilson, a member of DNR’s leadership in Annapolis, confirmed that same assessment. Despite local reports to the contrary, Wilson also confirmed that the State has not issued any warnings to avoid swimming in the lake or eating fish caught in it. Instead, the report that he provided to the POA on August 21 indicated that water quality conditions on the lake are typical of a “mesotrophic” lake. The warm weather this summer has created stress conditions in many lakes throughout the region, and that these conditions are not necessarily the result of land use or other activities in the watershed.

DNR and MDE will step up their monitoring of lake water quality in an effort to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the lake and to respond to questions dealing with potential dredging, submerged vegetation, and the impact of agriculture and land use in the watershed. Their increased attention to lake water quality is a positive thing for the long term stability and continued appeal of the lake.