What to do about Ellis Lake?
Marysville council members and staff have been grappling with the issue of making Ellis Lake and the parkland around it more useable. Ideas for cleaning up the water have been floated by the council ... but so far, there’s been no catchfree proposal.
While the water in the lake is less than pristine, it’s not the only concern of people who wouldn’t mind having the park to recreate in ... there’s worry about litter and refuse, transients, and traffic.
Here are some of the comments on the topic we received from Facebook friends:
– Lots of memories here as a kiddo feeding the ducks and doing the fishing derby. Even the paddle boats. It’s unfortunate. I’d love to see more money put into it to make it a family friendly area. But at the same time, I know the money spent would be a waste because of the people in that area. I’m not saying everyone, but a majority of people would litter, not pick up after animals, and would inevitably destroy it. It has so much potential, but sadly the people that hang around that area are holding back all of the possibilities.
– ... my family and I always use to stop and have a picnic there! I tried starting that with my family but sadly you can’t eat with the rancid smell there.
– Bill Mcclymonds: It would be nice to see it improved. I used to live on the north end of it. I think the area has potential. If it’s too costly to circulate clean water in and out of the lake due to it’s size, then what about reducing it’s size and using the reclaimed land for other park activities?
– Julie Martin Coulson: This is an asset to our town. They need to invest in it and clean it up. They should have “adopt the lake” like they do “adopt a highway.”
– You could make that water look like beautiful Lake Tahoe and I wouldn’t take my family near the crack heads and transients. Marysville needs to focus on the real problems that they have. Not the water clarity of a lake that nobody sane could enjoy.
– Get sponsors, ask for volunteers! Let’s drain it, clean it, get rid of the sick ducks (help or euthanize)! Bring in the river water, keep it flowing! Build a restroom there that’ll get locked down a certain time! Bring the paddle boats back, make a swimming area have signs “no life guard on duty” “swim at own risk” there has been funding for this so where is it? I think this could be a real upper for our little town! Let’s have paddle boat races, remote control boat races! ...
– Ellis Lake needs to be completely drained, cleaned and refilled. It is an embarrassment to our entire bi-county community that Marysville has yet to address this.
– Andrew Robertson: Ellis Lake .... it was a awesome idea but it needs the pump to work for clean water , like the good old days! Also family friendly more security for now days!
– Stephanie Hilton: My son calls it duck poop pond. Clean the lake and the surrounding area.
– Definitely get this pump back up and running again. The water is God awful. The transients are all over. I simply do not feel safe going to the lake anymore. I’m not exactly sure how to clean up the homeless issue but that would go a long way to get the community back to using the lake
– Why can’t Marysville have anything nice? I pay local tax, state tax and property tax. Get it together Marysville City Council!
– Gary Ecv Johnson: Use inmates to clean the lake area, pump fresh water in and old water out. Allow fishing with no license. Allow a few weekends when you can use jet skis to help the water circulate.
– Sharon Ritter Dollins: I remember as a teenager how romantic it was to go on a paddle boat ride with your boyfriend. it was clean and smelled nice back then. Families having picnics around the grounds. No loud music blaring. Just the sound of laughter... 50+ years ago.
– Homeless can’t always help that they are homeless and they have a right to visit but I stopped taking my kids there because they have gotten out of hand with laying on the benches and being foul. Drinking and yelling, etc
– Carissa Nichole Bonham: Stop focusing on JUST the main part and look over by the baseball field. Went over there for a photo shoot and saw a dead goose and dead pigeon. It smelled awful and there was hardly anywhere to walk that wasn’t covered in poo.
– Misty Sinnott-castleberry: You can clean it all u want, if u don’t get the transients out, cleanup is a waste of time.
– How about running more fresh water through it. Its stagnant.
– We need more family fun zones, a good clean up, and some remodeling done to those vacant, old buildings.