This presentation is about the challenges of managing low dissolved oxygen in beautiful Lake Merritt in downtown Oakland California. Our guest speaker, Eli Kersh, is a Certified Lake Manager, limnologist and President the LakeTech corporation, currently working with the City of Oakland on the Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Plan. Eli was among the first professionals to respond to the catastrophic fish kill in August 2022, when oxygen in the lake dropped to zero because of a harmful algal bloom. Partnering with the Lake Merritt Institute, LakeTech installed 24/7 monitoring equipment, ever since infusing discussions of Lake Merritt management strategies with an uptodate background of relevant highquality seasonal data. He has proposed and is testing cuttingedge technological solutions to maintain acceptable dissolved oxygen levels and envision rescue actions in case of new severe low oxygen events.
The city is now entering the second year of a twoyear pilot study of LakeTech's water quality infrastructure in Lake Merritt. What a great time to catch us all up on water quality, how we impact it, what we can do, and if/how we can control it. Please bring your questions, your thoughts and your love for Lake Merritt, "The Jewell of Oakland," to Lakeside Chat #43!