Ecology Board Presents Recommendations for Lake Improvements

The Miami Springs Ecology Board presented recommendations for lake improvements to improve water quality and increase the local fisheries.

We applaud the Ecology Board for its comprehensive, professional, and thorough report.  The presentation is intended to provide more public awareness on the problems we have with the quality (or lack of quality) in our lakes.

NOTE:  All the lakes in Miami Springs are owned by the homeowners that live around the lakes.  The lakes are NOT public property.  The lakes are not owned or maintained by the City of Miami Springs.

Again the following recommendations are intended to bring awareness to the following issues:

• Poor water quality of the Miami Springs lakes
• Impact on the fisheries
• Solutions to improve the water quality and the fisheries

Here’s the memo and complete presentation from the Ecology Board:

The City of Miami Springs is renowned for its natural beauty, aesthetic, and resources, which make it stand out among other communities in South Florida. Residents have enjoyed and fostered a culture of fishing in Miami Springs for generations, but the recreational tradition has declined in recent years because of a decline in the quality and quantity of fishing in the City’s waterways. Residents have observed, reported, and discussed concerns for the declining fishery and health of aquatic resources in Miami Springs.

Until now, no systematic assessment has been completed to determine the cause of the declining fishery in Miami Springs, and no recommended solutions have been proposed yet; however, in some instances residents (or resident-run lake associations) have implemented strategies to address this issue. Thus, the Ecology Board of the City of Miami Springs is proposing recommended solutions to:

1. 1. 1. improve fish habitat (physically and chemically),
      2. increase fish populations, and
      3. improve fishing quality and opportunities.

These recommended solutions pertain to the five (5) lakes of Miami Springs: Bass Lake, South Bass Lake, Lake Louise, Hammond Lake, and De Leon Lake. These recommended solutions are based off a systematic survey of lake topography, structure, water quality, vegetation, aquatic fauna, trophic dynamics, and other ecological attributes. This survey occurred on February 8, 2025, by Marcel Bozas (Vice-Chair of Ecology Board/ wildlife biologist/ Ph.D. in Natural Resources) and a professional aquaculturist / fish biologist was consulted with to interpret assessment values and findings.

The recommended solutions are specific to each lake, but are generalized as follows:

1. 1. 1. deploy aerators or similar technologies to increase oxygenation and improve water quality,
      2. reintroduce aesthetically pleasing, native vegetation to improve water quality and provide 3-D nesting and cover habitat for fish,
      3. and reintroduce native fish to balance trophic and demographic dynamics.