Save Optimist Lake
Save Optimist Lake
Please watch the video. I'm editing this to say, we have been back and forth between the County and City of Mobile. The problem is that years ago, there were plenty of holding ponds north of the lake. The lake was created to mitigate the waterflow through the Dog River system. Now, however, there are many huge businesses like car dealerships, etc, upstream. With all the asphalt and concrete constantly being poured, the amount of water coming into the lake has increased 10-fold. The holding ponds may have helped a little, but now there are none left, other than one small one. This lake has been used by the public for decades for fishing, kayaking, swimming, etc. We need help getting the lake back. If the dam is too expensive to rebuild, then maybe all the silt that's washed in can be used as an earthen dam. I'm no geologist, but we must do something. It's very soon going to undermine the roads to the south during heavy rainstorms. If you know any city or state official who can help ... please have them contact us. In the meantime, any donations would help greatly to at least start some silt removal. God bless and thank you.
This first video is from December, a couple of years ago. Scroll down and click "Read More" to see a video of the state of the lake today.
A very important part of the Dog River Watershed, Optimist Lake is a manmade impoundment on Milkhouse Creek in West Mobile. Several neighborhoods are adjacent to the lake and use the lake for recreating and fishing.
The lake is home to hundreds of ducks, birds of prey, and many species of fish and other aquatic life (e.g. turtles, crustaceans, frogs, etc.). Recently there was a Bald Eagle nesting nearby, using the lake as its food source. There are also small foxes who make their home here, as well as migrating Canada Geese who visit every year for weeks at a time.
Several years ago, during several days of intense rain, a retention pond north of the lake was compromised, sending an enormous cascade of water to the dam on the lake. The dam, in turn, was compromised and the lake drained out completely. Thousands of fish were killed and the ecosystem of the lake was all but destroyed.
The dam was patched as well as money allowed, but it wasn’t a permanent fix. Residents payed to have the lake restocked with the natural fish species. Now, the dam has been compromised again with a hole flowing under the concrete embankment and exiting through the existing pipes related to the stand-pipe a few yards from the edge of the dam. As more water flows through the breach, the larger the breach is becoming. A catastrophe for the lake and the waters, marshes, etc., downstream is becoming inevitable.
As such an important part of the Dog River Watershed, our neighborhood needs a permanent fix, starting with help to survey and fix the dam before another catastrophic failure. Optimist lake is technically a private lake, located directly behind the Bamboo Steakhouse on Cody Road in Mobile. There is not a sanctioned, legal HOA in the neighborhood, so outside funds are extremely important. Many Mobilians fish and recreate here. In addition to this GoFundMe campaign, we are also seeking grants from many entities, but time is running out.
Please consider donating any amount so that we can avoid a catastrophe that will affect thousands of marine species, owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, turtles, geese, etc., throughout the entire Dog River Watershed. Please also consider forwarding this GoFundMe link to anyone who you think may be able to help. This is bigger than a few households on the lake can handle. Please help Save Optimist Lake.
