“There are always high levels after surface rains, so this doesn’t surprise me,” says Barb Liukkonen, who heads the university’s monitoring project.

But Liukkonen also is concerned about the steady leakage of storm water into the 14-acre body of water on the city’s north end, and Olmanson fears for the health of swimmers, though there have been no reports of anyone becoming ill.

The lake is used by anglers, and although swimming in it is prohibited, there’s a beach of sorts where people swim illicitly.

Association member David Hoehn of Le Sueur thinks the city is too easily dismissive of the pollutant counts in the lake.

“The city’s response is, ‘We have ‘no swimming’ signs posted,’” says Hoehn, who believes the city is two-faced about the lake — claiming to care about it when it really doesn’t.

Giesking says he can’t do a lot about people’s perceptions.

“The claim of caring gets down to: What are you doing to take care of it? And if that means we aren’t doing what they desire to bypass (divert storm water away from the lake) it, then I guess someone can say that we don’t care,” Giesking says.

The city has plans to turn the lake perimeter into a nature trail area. Water clarity in the lake remains excellent; the bottom can be seen to a depth of 10 feet.

“I very much appreciate the concern for the lake, and we’d very much like to see it developed into a recreation area,” Giesking says.

“It’s a valuable resource, and we want to do the right thing for the people.”