Urge City of Akron to Remove Unnecessary Water Pump from Lake Pippen
Urge City of Akron to Remove Unnecessary Water Pump from Lake Pippen
The Issue
Lake Pippen, one of the few remaining high quality natural glacial kettle lakes in Ohio, is currently at risk due to the installation of an unnecessary water pump installed by the City of Akron in Portage County Ohio. Lake Pippen is an 143-acre natural glacial kettle lake that harbors a dozen rare aquatic plants dependent on the lake for their existence. Lake Pippen is the only location in Ohio of two state endangered species - water marigold (Bidens beckii) and Robbins pondweed (Potomogeton robbinsii). If Lake Pippen is pumped, it threatens the extirpation of these two species from Ohio along with putting the other 10 state-listed species at risk.
The City of Akron claims the pump is being installed as a necessity for water supply, but as an engineer who worked within the Watershed Division for the City of Akron from 2018-2020, this claim is entirely false due to the abundance of the entire water supply which includes Lake Rockwell (app. 600 acres), LaDue Reservoir (1,500 acres), East Branch Reservoir (420 acres), and the Cuyahoga River which connects the reservoirs (acreage unknown, but also a significant volume). Lake Pippen contains a minor volume of water in comparison (143 acres - see map below).
The issue is mismanagement of reservoir levels by the City of Akron. In my time at the City, I witnessed at times completely arbitrary, unnecessary discharges of high volumes and low volumes from the reservoirs. At times the gates in the reservoirs were closed completely which led to fish kills and other times unnecessarily high release volumes led to low reservoir levels, which is what I suspect has happened again this summer, leading to the City reactively installing this pump. Despite claims it may be from a drought, NE OH was not in a drought for the past year according to U.S. Drought Monitor data from the National Drought Mitigation Center linked below. At the heart of the issue is historic mismanagement of the reservoirs by the City of Akron and Lake Pippen and the rare species it harbors and two aquatic plant species should not face extirpation because of mismanagement of the Akron reservoirs.
Two species are in direct threat of being extirpated from Ohio if the City were to pump down Lake Pippen in any capacity - they are extremely sensitive species that live along the fringe of the lake and any change in the ordinary high water level of the Lake would drawdown the water levels beneath these populations and expose the species to the air and put them at risk of extirpation in Ohio. The hydrology of Lake Pippen is groundwater fed and it would likely take a long time for it to replenish, risking losing these rare species.
Lake Pippen is one of if not the best remaining natural glacial kettle lakes in Ohio. Water marigold (Bidens beckii) was previously extirpated from Ohio before being rediscovered by myself and coworkers in 2019 at Lake Pippen. It was extirpated from the state at the time and this article about "Lost Plants" being found was written:
By signing this petition, you are urging the City of Akron to remove the harmful water pump from Lake Pippen, protecting two species from extirpation. The survival of these plants is an urgent matter, and your signature can play a significant role in protecting them. Be the change and help us ensure that future generations can enjoy Lake Pippen's magnificent diversity.
Please sign and share this petition and email the City of Akron Mayor and Sustainability Director at: mayor@akronohio.gov and CShevlin@akronohio.gov
Suggested email text for your own edits:
Dear Mayor Malik and Ms. Shevlin,
I am emailing you asking the pump on Lake Pippen to be removed to protect two species (water marigold and Robbins pondweed) from extinction from Ohio and for protection of one of the the best remaining glacial kettle lakes. This pump is an unnecessary expense to Akron taxpayers and not in line with Akron's Sustainability Plan.
Signed,
Concerned Resident
Sign today to save Lake Pippen!
The pump
Water marigold - Bidens beckii in it's only population in Ohio
The Issue
Lake Pippen, one of the few remaining high quality natural glacial kettle lakes in Ohio, is currently at risk due to the installation of an unnecessary water pump installed by the City of Akron in Portage County Ohio. Lake Pippen is an 143-acre natural glacial kettle lake that harbors a dozen rare aquatic plants dependent on the lake for their existence. Lake Pippen is the only location in Ohio of two state endangered species - water marigold (Bidens beckii) and Robbins pondweed (Potomogeton robbinsii). If Lake Pippen is pumped, it threatens the extirpation of these two species from Ohio along with putting the other 10 state-listed species at risk.
The City of Akron claims the pump is being installed as a necessity for water supply, but as an engineer who worked within the Watershed Division for the City of Akron from 2018-2020, this claim is entirely false due to the abundance of the entire water supply which includes Lake Rockwell (app. 600 acres), LaDue Reservoir (1,500 acres), East Branch Reservoir (420 acres), and the Cuyahoga River which connects the reservoirs (acreage unknown, but also a significant volume). Lake Pippen contains a minor volume of water in comparison (143 acres - see map below).
The issue is mismanagement of reservoir levels by the City of Akron. In my time at the City, I witnessed at times completely arbitrary, unnecessary discharges of high volumes and low volumes from the reservoirs. At times the gates in the reservoirs were closed completely which led to fish kills and other times unnecessarily high release volumes led to low reservoir levels, which is what I suspect has happened again this summer, leading to the City reactively installing this pump. Despite claims it may be from a drought, NE OH was not in a drought for the past year according to U.S. Drought Monitor data from the National Drought Mitigation Center linked below. At the heart of the issue is historic mismanagement of the reservoirs by the City of Akron and Lake Pippen and the rare species it harbors and two aquatic plant species should not face extirpation because of mismanagement of the Akron reservoirs.
Two species are in direct threat of being extirpated from Ohio if the City were to pump down Lake Pippen in any capacity - they are extremely sensitive species that live along the fringe of the lake and any change in the ordinary high water level of the Lake would drawdown the water levels beneath these populations and expose the species to the air and put them at risk of extirpation in Ohio. The hydrology of Lake Pippen is groundwater fed and it would likely take a long time for it to replenish, risking losing these rare species.
Lake Pippen is one of if not the best remaining natural glacial kettle lakes in Ohio. Water marigold (Bidens beckii) was previously extirpated from Ohio before being rediscovered by myself and coworkers in 2019 at Lake Pippen. It was extirpated from the state at the time and this article about "Lost Plants" being found was written:
By signing this petition, you are urging the City of Akron to remove the harmful water pump from Lake Pippen, protecting two species from extirpation. The survival of these plants is an urgent matter, and your signature can play a significant role in protecting them. Be the change and help us ensure that future generations can enjoy Lake Pippen's magnificent diversity.
Please sign and share this petition and email the City of Akron Mayor and Sustainability Director at: mayor@akronohio.gov and CShevlin@akronohio.gov
Suggested email text for your own edits:
Dear Mayor Malik and Ms. Shevlin,
I am emailing you asking the pump on Lake Pippen to be removed to protect two species (water marigold and Robbins pondweed) from extinction from Ohio and for protection of one of the the best remaining glacial kettle lakes. This pump is an unnecessary expense to Akron taxpayers and not in line with Akron's Sustainability Plan.
Signed,
Concerned Resident
Sign today to save Lake Pippen!
The pump
Water marigold - Bidens beckii in it's only population in Ohio
Victory
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Petition created on November 10, 2024