This blog series started with asking whether Worthington is
losing its greatest natural asset: Lake Okabena. Response from
the community indicated deep interest in the future of the lake.
In Part 2, I addressed algae, a chief challenge to the use and
quality of the lake. Giant summer blooms of pea soup wreak havoc
on our enjoyment of the lake and its surrounding parks. We
considered whether an algae skimmer may be a solution to this
problem. In my final article in this series, we will talk about
dredging—a common inquiry in discussing lake quality. Defining
the Problem If you’re like me, you nostalgically remember the
old dredge, “Shawano.” I vaguely recall seeing it at work on
Lake Okabena, and distinctly remember its resting place on West
Shore. The dredge provided comfort—we believe something good was
being done to the lake below its murky waters. Should we dredge
Okabena again? Dredging will certainly solve one problem: Lake
depth. We often wish Lake Okabena was deeper. If you have run
your motor into the