Tons of dead fish cleared from Hoyt Lake

Try to picture 9,200 pounds of dead fish.

Now imagine seeing -- and smelling -- these fish lining the banks of Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park.

Crews from the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy removed about 4.6 tons of dead fish from around the lake in March.

It wasn't the first time lots of dead fish were floating in the lake. City officials have known the cause for years. In fact, city officials participated in a splashy news conference called by the state to trumpet a solution last summer.

But the fish continue to die, and the stench still permeates one of the city's most picturesque settings.

That's about to change, according to state Sen. Mark Grisanti, R-Buffalo. His office announced that a $100,000 item contained in the new state budget will pay for new pumping equipment that should solve the problem.

City officials were slow to respond, with mayoral spokesman Michael DeGeorge insisting that he had to "check the facts." When he issued a statement seven hours later, he said the city has taken some steps to address problems at Hoyt Lake. A consultant has been hired at the cost of $40,000 to begin site testing, DeGeorge said.

Back in August, environmentalists and government leaders summoned reporters to the edge of Hoyt Lake. They announced a state grant to help foot the tab for projects aimed at improving water quality in Hoyt Lake and Scajaquada Creek.

The stench that sometimes emanates from the waterways is largely caused by low oxygen levels that cause many fish to die and allow nuisance algae to flourish. The plan was to upgrade two spring-fed wells on the east side of Hoyt Lake, and to repair three aging pumps.

Nearly eight months have passed and no work has started, said Doug Curella, Grisanti's chief of staff. Curella blamed the delays on red tape in Albany that has tied up the $150,000 grant in the state comptroller's office.

The $100,000 that Grisanti helped to snare in the new state budget should result in work being completed early this summer, the state senator's office said.

The executive director of Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper said she's not surprised that the project is taking longer than some anticipated.

"Contracting with Albany is complicated and time-consuming," said Julie Barrett O'Neil. "Once the money is flowing, it will be an early step forward toward a long-term cleanup."


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