16 Jun 2023
It was the stench which hit you first. Like stagnant water in a disused quarry, putrid and cloying. What visitors to St Albans must have thought of the condition of the jewel in the crown of Verulamium Park is anyone’s guess, but locals have certainly been outspoken about it: the lake stank.
It might have been a case of too little, too late when park rangers turned up last week to tackle the problem, removing the seasonal algae blooms which were breaking down on the surface, alongside the dead fish which had been caught in the dense mats created under the water.
Of course, this is not the first time that complaints have been raised about the condition of Verulamium Lake, as every summer for over a decade walkers have reported thick cloying scum on the surface, the result of years of silt build-up preventing the free-flow of water.
Over the last few weeks the situation has taken its annual turn for the worse, with the return of algae triggered by the warm weather.
The St Albans Times wanted to find out what SADC was doing about the situation, and how the long-awaited Revitalising The Ver project was progressing since our last update back in February.
At this stage a planning application for the area between the causeway footpath, which links Abbey Orchard and King Harry Lane, and the Cottonmill allotments, was said to be imminent. It turns out that was not the case.
Chris Traill, SADC strategic director of community and place delivery, explained that the appearance of algae on the surface of the artificial lakes was not unexpected and the council is taking action to reduce the impact.
“The lakes were built almost 100 years ago and there has been a build-up of silt over many decades. It is the silt that produces the algae.
“We have initiated the Revitalising The Ver project to deal with this complex issue and make long-term, lasting improvements to the water quality of the lakes.
“This is a challenging project that we are working on with a number of partners including the Environment Agency, Affinity Water and Hertfordshire County Council.
“The ambition is to return the River Ver, a rare chalk stream, to its more natural state as it flows through the park.
“This will improve the flow into the lakes and reduce silt levels as will plans to border the lakes with plants.”
She explained what stage the scheme had now reached: “I am pleased to say we are making real progress with the project and a planning application is due to be submitted by the autumn.
“That is for the area between the causeway footpath, which links Abbey Orchard and King Harry Lane, and the Cottonmill allotments.
“Design work for the other section of the park, which includes the lakes, is continuing.
“We are currently working with Environment Agency, Historic England and the planning authorities to gain the necessary consents to enable the project.
“Part of this is for archaeological work in Bell Meadow which will happen during the summer. This will include several test dig pits and we are hoping to learn how the river has been modified over the past 2,000 years. The results of these investigations will inform the design and improve our understanding of the river and floodplain at this location.
“In the meantime, our grounds maintenance contractor is taking all short-term measures available to them to deal with the algae.
“They are carrying out daily inspections and have fenced off areas close to algae build ups to prevent people accidentally stepping onto it. They also remove algae where they can, although this is a difficult task as the algae tends to disintegrate on contact.
“We also brought in experts to determine the algae type as well as the nitrate and oxygen levels of the water to ensure fish aren’t at risk. They have confirmed the algae is non-toxic.
“The project will provide a long-term solution and we remain committed to delivering it despite the challenging financial climate.”
Meanwhile the park’s neighbours at Ye Olde Fighting Cocks have been doing their bit to ensure the stretch of the River Ver passing their doors is kept clean and tidy.
Over the hottest and busiest weekend of the year the team took on the challenge for the second year running.
Last summer, landlords Martin Robinson and Sam Walker spent a few days in the river outside the pub clearing out rubbish to get it flowing again and ensuring ducks and swans could swim through from the main stretch of the Ver.
This year, Martin and Sam have cleaned up the stones outside the pub to bring them back to their former glory – and their hard efforts have been applauded by customers and residents on Facebook.
Martin said: “When we took over the pub, we thought it was really important to look after the public areas close to the pub including the little section of the River Ver, and we couldn’t believe what we saw when we started cleaning the stones. They are different colours and we think they may have been there for many, many years. We posted about our second clean-up operation on Facebook and got so much support from residents, some saying that they think the stones might be Indian sandstone.
“We will also continue to do our bit to keep the river rubbish free and flowing. As a team, we are passionate about doing our bit to prioritise the environment where and whenever we can.”
