In September and October 2016, volunteers from neighborhoods upstream of Echo Lake spent several weekends removing debris from two streams along Briarlake Road that drain into Echo Lake. They removed hundreds of trash items that spoiled their own neighborhoods and would otherwise have washed down into Echo Lake during heavy rains. This stream cleanup was organized by Brennan Humphries, a member of the Friends of Briarlake Forest Park, a 21 acre green space off Briarlake Road that DeKalb County recently purchased for public use. Some toxic debris enters stream beds through storm drains. Drains marked with this plaque remind us to not put toxic items into these drains.
This stream cleanup is a vivid example of collaboration between neighborhoods in the Echo Lake watershed that want to keep our watershed clean and safe for fish, wildlife, and people who use the lake. ELHA members who wish to volunteer for future stream cleanup can contact Brennan at jjh411@ymail.com. For info about the Forest Park, see briarlake.fop@gmail.com.
On November 20, one ELHA member used her kayak to collect potentially dangerous debris floating on our lake, such as plastic bags, rings, bottles, bottle caps, and Styrofoam bits (photo). These items can choke or trap wildlife and kill fish, release toxic chemicals into the water, clog electric trolling motors of fishing boats, and block the dam spillway. ELHA members can reduce this kind of debris if they remind workers, children, and guests not to throw items in the lake, retrieve tennis balls and water bottles in yards before they roll down into the lake, and remove any lakeshore trash they find on their lakeshore.