Timber Linn Lake was almost completely clear of any aquatic plant growth at 6:30 Wednesday evening, Sept. 17, 2025.
On a bike ride Wednesday evening, I looked at Albany’s Timber Linn Lake and saw almost none of the water plant growth that has plagued Waverly Lake. Which raises a question.
Here’s the question: What is different about Waverly Lake that makes it so much more prone to being covered with some kind of growing crud every summer?
There are, as everybody knows, four little lakes on Cox Creek in Albany: first the lake in Timber Linn Park, then the two Swan Lakes on private property on the other side of Interstate 5, and then Waverly, owned by the city like Timber Linn.
On Google maps, you can see the same difference I saw in person. the first three lakes are clear, while the surface of Waverly is mottled with stuff.
All four lakes are affected by the same weather. They are fed by the same creek, which in turn gets its flow from the South Santiam River via the Albany-Santiam Canal.
So, what could possibly be the reason for the dramatic difference in the conditions of Timber Linn and Waverly?
Don’t tell me it’s duck poop. There are far more ducks around Timber Linn than at Waverly. At least that was the case on Wednesday night.
As I stood on the wooden bridge at Timber Linn, a brisk breeze was blowing from the northeast and stirring ripples on the water. Could that make a difference? Wind churning the water more often than at Waverly, which is surrounded by more and taller trees?
Waverly Lake is roughly twice the size of Timber Linn in acreage. But you’d think that smaller water bodies would be more susceptible than bigger ones to stagnation and thus algae and Mexican water fern, rather than the other way around.
On social media, Albany Parks and Recreation says it has spent about $133,000 on the Waverly Lake problem. This covered the purchase and installation of the central fountain and 12 aerators, as well as aquatic harvesting over each of the last three summers.
Now if we only knew the cause of the Waverly problem, maybe something could be done about that, and the expense of annual treatment could be reduced over the many summers to come. (hh)
Hasso, there may be more natural water movement or flow at Timber Linn lake than other area lakes. Surface water flow seems to temporarily clear up the duckweed in my lake.
Another flood again in our area may help remove our duckweed problem.
As someone who has a lake on our property, the green stuff is not algea but a floating pea like bud with roots that strives in stagnant water. If you block the spillway, and raise the water level a couple of feet and then release it, the bud will flow away. As soon as the rains come and raise the water flow, they are gone. You will never find them where there is adequate water flow.
If you install a gate on the Waverly spill way, you could easily get rid of them by releasing water ever so often. The only live on stagnant water. That is probably what they should have done instead of aerators, etc,
Maybe it’s time to perform some water quality testing. Would be interesting to know the nitrogen and phosphate levels in the two lakes
Agree with Skeet. Run the test, either confirm or eliminate the potential levels
Hi, Hasso, I touched base with you a year or more ago about ideas to control the water weed problem biologically. I also had a couple of emails back and forth with someone in the parks department then they quit answering my emails.
I had some ideas on what works to control some of the water weeds which would be much cheaper than the current ways. I am not sure if they work but a small trial would only cost a few hundred dollars.
I asked Grok 3 (X’s AI chat bot) the following question, “Why would one lake, the largest out of four, along the same Cox creek in Albany, Oregon have an algae accumulation problem where as the other three lakes do not? Are there other examples of this in other parts of the country or the world?” And, it gave me a rather long and detailed answer here: https://x.com/i/grok/share/CkYzI7qmvLSg9mm274SYahNZx
Seems really strange the waverly lake problem started at the same time talking waters has a problem and it’s practically right across the street
Is it really that hard to figure out? Waverly is the last in the chain. Any excess nutrients, pollution, etc ends up there. Or possibly it’s one of your followers infesting the lake for clicks.
Thanks for Interesting observation. I would be curious about the water temp and depth of all four lakes and if that would affect growth. I know the two swan lakes used to pretty stagnant and warm, maybe they need aerators to help the flow so warm water isn’t flowing into waverley lake. I have no idea but curious !
In some places, phosphorus that runs off of residential lawns after over fertilizing can lead to blooms downstream.
Reasonable observation-high nitrogen promotes all types of algae growth in small lakes and even low flowing rivers.
ODFW probably can give info. Also, heavy use of lawn & garden supplements nearby can increase the growth of vegetation that’s tolerant to the poisons being released in the lake that is not happening @Timber Land.
Swan Lakes are not clear,granted not as bad as Waverly,but each year it’s getting worse,at least between Bain and Airport.
Hasso: Type into your online search line “Why do we need to fix the world’s fresh water algal (their spelling) bloom problem – World Economic Forum.” The city should do the same. (Apparently not only young people just use their phones to play games!) Also, Waverly Lake has been there decades longer than Timber Linn Lake. Waverly Lake needs to be dredged I would guess.
Waverly Lake has had the growth issue for decades, even back to when I was young (60 years), but it looks worse today than the past. These lakes were largely created for highway construction, gravel pits. Waverly was probably created for Highway 99E (Pacific Blvd) while the other “freeway lakes” like Timber Linn were for the 1950s construction of I-5. This also would account for why Waverly was somewhat cleaner in the 1960s, but already getting some weeds, since it was a relatively new lake.
Waverly Lake was created when old 99 Highway was constructed in the 1930s. The other lakes were created for I-5 construction, as you said, which was mostly completed by 1955.
Didn’t they a couple years ago install a sewer line on west side, with the sidewalk, I live on a lake and everyone takes care of their septic’s for algae growth, not sure Albany public works would check for a sewer leak but it could warrant a test
Timber Linn Lake was dredged in the Late 1990’s.
Thank you Hasso. Once again you chose a good topic and ask very important questions.
I to am a very frequent visitor of these lakes on Cox Creek. My friends were asking the same question while attending the fantastic events: KC & The Sunshine Band, The Hot Air and Hot Rod Show and the 2nd annual Mushroom Festival…all at the very clear water Timber Linn Lake.
Swan Lakes and Waverly Lake have the worst algae mat ever. I was born here in the 1950s. The mat is now a combination of Cyanobacteria and a layer of “water fern” Azolla.
The test kits for cyanotoxins are negative for now thankfully.
The “new” somewhat serious threat to fishing, swimming, canoeing and all of the ecosystem that relies on sunlight, oxygen and water flow is the very dense floating pennywort.
The biomass of this pennywort is even surpassing the hydrilla growing up from the lake floor.
Scooping these out and using them for lawns, gardens, compost and mulches is daunting but necessary.
But, back to clear Timber Linn…what is different downstream? Need answers and solutions.
Dr. Mike