In response to the 2022 Lake Merritt fish kill, the City of Oakland and partners initiated the Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Pilot Project (Pilot).
The pilot project is designed to monitor dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and other water quality parameters in the Lake, to install infrastructure designed to increase Lake DO in specific areas of the Lake, and to identify and implement ways to address harmful algal blooms when they occur. Initial planning and monitoring was funded in part through the City's budget from July 1, 2023- December 31, 2026. Device installation is a project of Oakland's Capital Improvement Program. (Fiscal Years 2023-2025).
The pilot project will conclude at the end of 2026. The project installed two devices to increase dissolved oxygen in Lake Merritt.
The first of these devices, an aeration fountain, was installed August 15, 2023, near the Pergola by El Embarcadero Avenue and replaced an out-of-service fountain located in the Glen Echo arm of the Lake. By mixing air into the water, the fountain will improve dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, helping to maintain an oxygenated refuge for aquatic life near the fountain. The design and spray settings on the new fountain maximize benefits to wildlife.
An oxygenation system was installed in September/October 2023, in the area near where Glen Echo Creek enters the Lake (Glen Echo Arm). This device pumps oxygen into the water from the bottom of the Lake. The oxygenation device has not worked as expected and has been modified several times to improve function. The City determined that this type of device would not be effective for other areas of the Lake. The City is evaluating next steps regarding this device.
The results of the pilot project are informing the scope for subsequent work under the funded Lake Merritt Healthy Lake Initiative Project. Click below for more information.