Lake dredging project underway in Westlake Village

By Lori Porter Acorn Staff Writer

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn OVERSEEING THE PROCEDURE--Jeremy Moffett watches while a conveyer belt handles debris taken from the lake in Westlake Village during a dredging procedure that will continue until June. Homeowners will pay for the cleanup.

Westlake Lake Management Association (WLMA), a nonprofit organization that maintains the lake in Westlake Village, is undergoing a first ever, high-tech lake dredging procedure by means of a mobile treatment plant that can be seen on Triunfo Road, between Lindero Canyon and Westlake Boulevard.

The dredging, being done by JND Thomas Company, began last October and will continue through June. The project was necessary due to the accumulation of rubbish and other debris over the years. The lake opened in 1968.

Most of the sediment and other trash came from storm drains and from the growing number of developed lots that produced an erosion of topsoil over the years.

David DuVarney, lake operations manager, said that most of the material being removed is on the Ventura County side but added that workers are dredging the entire lake.

Pointing to a pile of rocks DuVarney said, "This is where the cell phones, watches, glasses and diamond rings can be found—unfortunately pretty beat up." The debris is hauled daily to a recycling plant in Moorpark.

The cost, estimated at $3 million, is being paid for by WLMA through a bank loan. DuVarney expects to pay the loan back from revenue generated by homeowners’ association dues, boat fees and fishing licenses.

But what about the fish?

"Good question," said DuVarney.

"The fish, along with the turtles scatter far away from all the commotion the dredging creates. They are perfectly safe."

"The city has done a great job of cleaning and maintaining the drains," said DuVarney, " now it is up to the community to care about what goes into the lake." He explained that when people feed the birds that migrate or live here, it causes them to excrete more waste, which ends up on the bottom of the lake. Additionally, the sugars in bread, for example, causes male birds to become extremely aggressive, according to DuVarney.

The dredger works like a giant vacuum cleaner that sucks up sediment and debris and then pumps it through a pipeline to the mobile treatment plant. Unwanted materials are then filtered out while preserving the water which is returned to the lake.

After the dredging is complete, the lake will not only be cleaner, but it will also be deeper, providing a better environment for the lake’s wildlife.

Dredging shouldn’t be necessary again for another 40 years, according to DuVarney.