Clear Lake Mayor disputes report surrounding lake

Clear Lake’s mayor refutes published reports that toxic metals found in the bottom of Clear Lake could threaten improvements to the lake. Kirk Kraft says it’s been known since the beginning of the studies by Iowa State University and the Department of Natural Resources that toxic metals could be an issue to wrangle with. He says they’ve known for a long time that there are different metals in the lake. He says duck and goose hunters have left lead in the lake, metal flows in from residential runoff.Kraft says it’s very premature to say toxic materials would threaten any improvements since only a draft proposal to clean up the lake was given to the public last week. He says there’s not even a dredging project set yet, there’s just a “toolbox” of options for fixing the lake, including dredging.Kraft says more public input is needed before making any decisions on what to do for the lake.Officials say lake improvements could bring a sharp increase in tourism, already a 60-million dollar a year industry for the lake.