St. Paul's Como Lake is looking — and smelling — better

Residents living near St. Paul's Como Lake say the water is a big part of what attracted them to the neighborhood.

But for many years, the lake's condition — which typically included a thick, stinking mat of algae and invasive aquatic plants by midsummer — dampened the appeal.

"Sometimes it was just nasty," longtime resident Gordy Wrobel said. "There was a time when it was so bad, I stopped coming."

But Como Lake is looking — and smelling — a lot better these days. Years of chemical treatments and other efforts ranging from better stormwater management to community cleanups have improved the water quality and appearance of one of St. Paul's signature lakes, a standout in a city less known for its bodies of water than its neighbor across the river.

There's even more planned for Como Lake this summer, from new recreational amenities to novel environmental efforts. The Capitol Region Watershed District — which formed in 1998 at the behest of a group of residents concerned about Como Lake — will conduct its first-ever invasive carp harvest in August and September.

"The lake has dramatically improved over the last several years," said Bob Fossum, the watershed district's monitoring and research division manager. "There's been a significant effort by a number of organizations and community groups. It's truly been a community effort."

Environmental efforts are ongoing

Como Lake started out as "a natural wetland system with some open water," Fossum said. It was deepened into a lake more than a century ago, and it now measures 68 acres with a maximum depth of 15 feet. It's home to populations of bluegill, crappie, bass and catfish, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

There are no streams feeding Como Lake. Rather, the lake collects storm sewer runoff for a large swath of the surrounding area, which fuels algae growth. The watershed district, partnering with the city of St. Paul, has installed water filtration systems, rain gardens, underground tanks and other methods to divert some of that runoff and allow it to soak back into the ground.

Watershed scientists have used herbicide to beat back the growth of invasive curly-leaf pondweed and have re-planted native plants in the lake. The city's Parks and Recreation department, along with other agencies, has restored native plants along the shoreline.

And in 2020, the watershed district applied liquid alum below the surface of the water from a barge. Alum settles to the bottom of the lake, binds to phosphorus in the water and forms a barrier that prevents algae from consuming it.

Though it will take a few years of sustained improvement to signal success, the lake's water quality is noticeably better, Fossum said. One telling piece of evidence: Odor complaints have declined.

"The smell of the lake was the biggest complaint we received. We know we don't hear as much about the smell as we did 10 to 15 years ago," Fossum said.

Neighborhood organizer Dan Edgerton said small changes have added up to noticeable improvement. The alum treatment marked a dramatic shift, he said.

"When people saw the results, they thought, 'This is fantastic!' " said Edgerton, a water resources engineer.

The biggest challenge, he said, is for residents to understand that Como Lake will always be a work in progress.

"It's a living ecosystem," said Jessica Bromelkamp, watershed communication and engagement division manager. "All along, we are gathering data to see how the lake is doing. We try different approaches, see how it responds and adapt accordingly."

Recreational improvements

The improved water quality has piqued interest in recreational use of the lake, and a slew of upgrades to the surrounding area are underway.

A city transportation improvement project is happening this summer at Como Regional Park, and work was recently completed on the north and south parking lots at Como Lakeside Pavilion. The project included resurfacing, renovating pathways, stormwater management and landscaping.

Wheel Fun Rentals, which manages boat rentals on the lake, upgraded its fleet this year with the addition of whimsical, swan-shaped pedal boats. The city is adding a new canoe and kayak launch near the pavilion that is expected to open in August.

The city is also planning to update its Como Regional Park Master Plan, with a focus on the trail network around Como Lake and the connection to the Grand Round regional trail. . A public engagement survey will be available online in early August.

And neighbors have continued to roll up their sleeves.

The local Community Council hosts regular cleanup events where volunteers armed with green buckets pull pounds of trash from the lake, shoreline and surrounding park.

On Tuesday,several dozen volunteers showed up. Among them was District Council Chair Jenne Nelson, who slipped on a pair of waders and scooped out trash along the shoreline.

Nelson's family, like many of her neighbors, have a list of life events connected to the lake. It's where they took wedding photos. It's where they taught their children to ride bicycles and trained their puppy to walk on a leash. It's the lush respite just steps from their front door.

They're unified around maintaining and improving it.

"People just love the lake. It's a real asset to the neighborhood," Nelson said. "We are here for the long haul."