You’re looking west across Waverly Lake on the afternoon of Dec. 7, 2023.
Just in case you were wondering whether Albany’s Waverly Lake now has a fountain, the answer is no, not yet.
“We are still waiting on [the] contractor,” Rick Barnett of the city parks department told me by email today. “I talked to him two weeks ago and he said we should see him this month. At this point it doesn’t hurt us to wait on him.”
Back in August, a contractor hired by the city cleared the lake of algae and other growth. This was to be followed by the installation of 12 aerators and a fountain, but the crew was called away and planned to return in October.
In early November, the parks department said the contractor was expected to return soon.
A month later, the bike and I circled the lake on Thursday, with me wondering if I could spot the fountain.
All I could see was a couple of blue things sticking out of the water in the middle of the lake. Was that the top of some equipment?
I couldn’t see clearly that far away, but the digital zoom on my phone camera made those things look a little like the tops of plastic bottles.
Whatever they were, they were not the fountain. Or one of the aerators.
As Barnett said, though, now the city can wait. It will be next summer when the aerators and the fountain will be nice to have, especially if they work in keeping the lake clear. (hh)
See those blue things sticking out of the water? No idea what they are. (In the background, Salem Avenue.)
Anchors for the painted Quacker…
Those could be a location marker for the placement of one of the aerators. But then again, I suppose it could be a swimming pool noodle that is stuck on some twigs on the bottom of the lake. Dredge the lake.
Why don’t contracts carry “completion by or penalties attach”?
Sounds like a good idea to me…
The “blue things” are the anchors for the Waverly Duck. They have been there year round for a few years.
Thanks. Makes sense. I’ve just never seen them before.
The anchors can be used for Christmas lights! I see Christmas lights shimmering over the water – maybe someone will build a pvc frame that creates our famous Wood Duck with lotsa lights!
Where is the DUCK? My mother and I use to take my children paddle boating here. Mom enjoyed the experience more than me!! I had to do all the paddling
The duck hibernates during the winter season. Not to worry – it will be back again next year. :-)
Said DUCK cannot handle the Oregon winter. Ha!
I wondered how the algae disappeared so suddenly – it was a seriously goopy mess this summer. Thanks, Hasso!