Update on Fountain City Lake

The sign facing Broadway welcomes guests to Fountain City Lake.

Fountain City Lake's fountain is a welcoming sight to visitors.

In the fall of 2017, the contractor crew finished construction of the gabion baskets, which were then filled with more stones and soil.

Planting should be underway in the wetlands in March and the project at Fountain City Lake will officially wrap up this April, according to the City of Knoxville.

Construction of the wetland areas wrapped up in early February.

Construction of the wetland areas wrapped up in early February.

A young boy gets a close-up look at a duck at Fountain City Lake.

This summer, the water should be deeper and cooler for the ducks to swim at Fountain City Lake.

Overabundant ducks have been fed the wrong bread products by visitors over the years. “Then they found it was bad for the ducks, causing obesity and weak bones,” said city stormwater engineering manager David McGinley. “We are looking forward to people being able to fish and feed the ducks the appropriate food without the algae. There is a feed station for the ducks and the fish, and we encourage folks to use that.”

The contractor also removed more muck (contributed to by the feces of overabundant ducks) from the lake’s bottom, according to the City of Knoxville. Once that was done, the lake’s outlet valve was closed and the spring-fed lake was allowed to naturally refill halfway.