Gail Bernard recalled the clear, spring-fed water of Lake Panasoffkee when she was a child.
“When I was growing up, Lake Panasoffkee to me was the elite part of Sumter County,” she said. “I felt privileged to live there.”
Today, the clear water is long gone and the lake and its connected canals are infested with weeds.
“I want it to be back like it was,” said Bernard, who still lives on the canal where she grew up.
She was among several Lake Panasoffkee residents to plead with commissioners Tuesday night to clean up the lake and establish a regular maintenance schedule.
“Lake Panasoffkee is basically unusable with a boat or any type of recreational activity, said Commissioner Doug Gilpin, who represents the area and urged fellow commissioners to make lake cleanup a priority.
Brett Barkley told commissioners he collected 200 signatures on a petition calling for the county to take action.
“That lake is dangerous right now,” he said. “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
Barkley said the county should use a mechanical harvester to clear the lake and canals of overgrown weeds. He also said the lake should be annually maintained through a program like in neighboring Citrus County.
Help could be on the way through about $25 million in federal funds allocated to Sumter County through the America Rescue Plan Act. The county has received half of the funding and the rest is expected next summer.
The federal money is restricted to capital projects such as water, sewer and broadband.
Replacing septic tanks around Lake Panasoffkee with sewers would prevent leakage and the release of gray water from washing machines by some residents that feeds the weed growth.
County Administrator Bradley Arnold said installing sewers would be a crucial first step in the long-term health of the lake.
But he said cleaning up the lake won’t be easy. Canal ownership and oversight by several state agencies complicates the cleanup process.
For some homeowners, their property runs to the center of the canal while other canals are under state ownership. Several state agencies have authority over waterways.
Arnold said dredging is restricted on some canals because digging too deep would endanger the fresh water aquifer.
County Chairman Garry Breeden recalled navigating a myriad of state agencies when he tried to repair or replace a bridge over a Lake Panasoffkee canal while he was Sumter County public works director more than a decade ago.
He warned residents that restoring the lake’s health with be difficult.
“Resolving the issues you’ve brought before the board tonight will be a lengthy and expensive process,” he said.
