HARRISBURG, Pa. — The City of Harrisburg announced that workers will begin dredging Italian Lake.
The work will clean trash, debris, and sediment from the lake bottom, according to city spokesperson Matt Maisel.
The process, which is expected to take anwhere from a week to 10 days, will begin next week at a date and time to be determined, depending on weather conditions.
“We last did a deep clean of Italian Lake in February 2022, and in almost two years, a lot of harm can take place beneath the surface,” said Dave Baker, City of Harrisburg Director of Facilities. “This will help make the lake healthier, and a better habitat for wildlife.”
Everything from tree leaves to trash to animal feces find their way onto the lake bed, which dirties lake water, making it unhealthy for fish and other wildlife, the city said.
Harrisburg plans to dredge one quarter of the lake each year, according to Maisel.
Last year, work was done on the southernmost quarter, closest to Division Street. This year, dredging will occur in the next closest quarter to the north. The work is being scheduled during the winter when Italian Lake has fewer visitors.
The Italian Lake area will not be closed during dredging, though members of the public are being asked to avoid to the end where the dredging is taking place, Maisel said.
“It could be mucky and messy, but there is nothing dangerous about the work,” said Debbie Reihart, Project Manager for Parks and Facilities overseeing the dredging. “We had the sediment tested by the Penn State soil testing lab, and there wasn’t anything toxic in the water.”
The City of Harrisburg has hired Ecological Solutions Inc., a Pennsylvania-based environmental inspection firm, to clean the lake. They will use what is essentially a giant vacuum cleaner to suck sediment and debris from the bottom of the lake. Larger debris is removed, while remaining sledge is pumped into a large, biodegradable bag.
It will cost the city approximately $27,300 a year.
