Crew members work to recover one of their two weed harvesters from Waverly Lake on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 7, 2025.
For the third summer in a row, a company has cleared Albany’s Waverly Lake of virtually all of its unwanted growth of water plants and algae.
On a bike ride Thursday afternoon, I happened on the scene just as the crew of Aquatic Harvesting was recovering the second of its weed-collecting vessels up the lake’s boat ramp.
The ramp is steep and the vessel must be heavy. The men had to lash their two pickups together to pull the boat out. (The other one was already sitting on its trailer on dry land.)
I had missed the harvesting operation itself. Construction has torn up a long stretch of Salem Avenue, so my bike had not taken me in that direction for a while.
As they were wrapping up, one of the guys told me they had started the harvesting on Saturday.
The Albany Parks Department has plans to keep up maintenance of the lake in Waverly Park, a showpiece at the northern entrance to town along Salem Avenue and Pacific Highway. I think that means we will see the harvesters again, probably next summer.
Parks Director Kim Lyddane told me the budget for the annual weed harvesting is $30,000. The invoice for this week’s operation has not yet come in.
For now, the water’s surface looks good. With the city’s rental paddle boats absent this season, it might be a good time to dust off your canoe and try paddling it around this little lake. (hh)
The harvesting operation left Waverly lake clear of unwanted aquatic weeds or algae — for now anyway.
If “you dust off your canoe,” as Hasso suggested, think twice before you take your dog or children with you on Waverly Lake (in my opinion) because the news is that in the U.S. there is a deadly algae this summer that can kill dogs or little children. This info has been in the “papers,” as we used to used to say in the heyday of newspapers. (Maybe Hasso only reads his own scribblings.)
Nice to see you enjoy his “scribblings” enough to read them.
Do you mean ‘blue green algie’? That happens every year around this time. Pretty easy to spot. Don’t drink the free power smoothie and you’re good
Growing up in Albany as a kid in the 60s and the 70s, I have swam, fished and paddled my rubber raft in Waverly Lake.
As far as I can remember back in the 60s and 70s, the lake did not get badly clogged up with lake weeds like it does now. I may not know what I’m talking about. I am not educated as a marine biologist, but maybe the problem with the weeds is the inflow of freshwater from the creeks that feed Waverly Lake has been cut off and decreased to where the water of the lake is more stagnated in the summertime. With more freshwater from the creeks coming into the lake and going out of the lake to the Willamette river help clear out the lake weed growth.
Also, I wonder what is the lake weed conditions of South Shore in Swan Lake don’t they feed into Waverly Lake?
Not afraid to post my name. Marion Fisk.
You’re correct. This water body has increased in vegetation. The increased waterfowl population spreads alot more feces, giving the vegetation a large dose of fertilizer. Company that, with additional fertilizer from farmland, and you have this.
I’ll use Ray. K’s form of communicating: Aren’t you brave, using your full name. Now that didn’t hurt, did it? (Sorry for the sarcasm. I’ll refrain from that in the future.)
Regarding the algae, since none of you seem to read a traditional newspaper anymore or watch legitimate cable news, type “Deadly algae in U.S. this summer” in your search line. You will find there’s a strain of algae causing illness and death.
Algal blooms/Red Tide was documented in the 16th & 17th centuries. Maybe you should change your source of news.
Bill Kapaun: Who in heck said anything about the 16th and 17th centuries, except you, and you are full of yourself. And, I’m not talking about red algae. The Oregonian (August 14) has a story on harmful “green” algae and recommends keeping children and pets away from the Willamette River. The possibly deadly “green” algae is in the Willamette River near Portland. I didn’t say Waverly Lake had deadly algae; I said Hasso should not be recommending canoeing on Waverly Lake unless he cautions about taking children and dogs on said canoeing adventures.
Marion Fisks’ comments need to be taken with caution. I went to high school with this character. He’s correct in starting he’s “no marine biologist”. … Waverly Lake has always been a stagnant cesspool dating back to when the Timber carnival was staged there in the 40’s. I say it should be enclosed, refrigerated until frozen and made into a year round indoor ice rink!
The Monsanto poisons that are dumped onto the crops from Springfield to Albany are a leading cause of the algae plumes near Albany. Make the Mennonites pay for the cleanup. They own most of the farmland out there.