When Lake Sherwood residents agreed to support David H. Murdock's plans for a luxury housing development and golf course, the developer in turn promised to restore the man-made lake and keep it clean.
Murdock was quick to dredge the nearly dry lake bed and refill it shortly after he acquired the property in 1985. But since then, residents complain that Murdock has been slow to put together a long-term plan to keep Lake Sherwood odor-free and clear of a green-brown carpet of algae.
Although Murdock's managers are beginning to treat the complaints seriously by hiring maintenance workers to clean the surface of the water, residents say they remain concerned about the lake's future.
The need for a comprehensive maintenance plan became impossible to ignore last summer when large sections of the 168-acre lake were covered over with dead algae, giving off a foul smell that wafted through the small lakeside community.
"It had a sewage kind of smell," said longtime resident Jim McCleod. "For a good month it was pretty crummy. The algae was so thick that frogs could hop across it."
Representatives for Murdock said that in addition to their initial cleanup efforts they are moving quickly to develop a long-term plan that would prevent similar blooms of smelly algae. They hope to have the plan in place by spring.
Tom Barnard, general manager of the Sherwood Country Club, said it's in Murdock's "best interest" to keep the lake in good condition. "There has to be some maintenance done to it," he said. "You can't let a body of water sit idle, or it will turn on you."
But residents said they have been complaining for years that Murdock is not living up to his agreement. They say the developer has been reluctant to spend the estimated $200,000 or more a year needed to maintain the lake, in part because the recession has slowed the sale of lavish homes in the Lake Sherwood Ranch development. Only about 60 of the 450 homes planned have been built.
"Murdock doesn't want to sink money into the lake until he gets his money back from his investment," said Bob Liberman, a 23-year resident of the older lakeside community. "We can understand his predicament, but at the same time we feel he has a responsibility and an obligation to follow through with his agreement to properly maintain the lake. None of us are feeling sorry for Mr. Murdock."
Barnard dismissed any notion that Murdock has been slow to develop a maintenance plan because of financial concerns.
"We understand the responsibility we have incurred," said Barnard, who is responsible for overseeing the maintenance plan. "We will do whatever it takes to keep the lake alive."
Barnard said part of the reason for the delay was simply finding the right person for the job and making sure that the work is done right.
Most residents said they are concerned about uncontrolled algae growth, and the shoreline being overrun by aquatic plants. They also worry about the reclaimed water used at Sherwood Country Club and manure from Hidden Valley livestock getting into the lake and the effect that might have on swimming and fishing.
"I don't see a tremendous amount of runoff," McCleod said. "But when there is runoff, it looks like the muddy Mississippi when it comes in."
As a result, McCleod said he believes there is the potential for harmful bacteria to flourish in the lake.
McCleod said he fears the lake has not been a priority for the developers of Murdock's Lake Sherwood Ranch. "It's nice to see the country club go in with its nice manicured lawns and all, but over the years nothing has happened much with the lake."
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Although there have been several studies of the lake, it was not until May of this year that Murdock hired consultant Franz Bigelow to launch an interim maintenance plan. A long-term plan is expected to be completed by April.
Despite last year's problems, Bigelow said "the lake has been doing extremely well this summer."
He said Murdock's representatives have hired laborers to clear the lake surface of dead algae, weeds and other plants that created some of the odor problems last year. Copper sulfate is being sprayed on the lake surface to control algae growth.
Still, Bigelow said more research is needed to put together a comprehensive plan to keep the lake clean. Bigelow, a former manager of the man-made lake in Westlake, said he is studying how fast weeds and plants grow during different times of the year. This will be helpful in determining the best way to treat the lake with copper sulfate, he said.
He said residents should not be overly concerned about the "nutrients" that make their way into the lake from the golf course or nearby pastures in Hidden Valley. He noted that droppings from dogs, cats and wild animals that live in the area also get into the lake.
"Any excrement on the ground is going to get in," he said. "There's no getting away from it. You're never going to effectively keep out nutrients."
