Councillors have agreed to a survey of West Kirby marine lake to determine how best to tackle a build up of silt which is reducing its depth and is starting to impact on water activities.
A sonar survey in 2020 estimated that there had been an accumulation of 28,000m³ of material.
Since then, storm activity has redistributed it, but it has continued to build-up, with drops in water levels again being reported.
There is also concern that parts of the stone wall surrounding the lake have become exposed, and that draining the lake to remove the silt would make it worse.
An alternative would be to carry out the work with the lake filled, as with the recent dredging at Ashton Park lake.
It is estimated it could cost more than £10 million, as the material would have to be transported to a landfill site.
Assistant Director, Mike Cockburn, told a meeting of the environment committee: “If we drain the lake that would compromise the wall. So the wall is basically pressurised by the water, and kept integral.
“If we drain it, the wall would basically collapse and we would be faced with…an open-ended repair bill for the lake, for the path.”
He added that approval for the work would have to be granted by Natural England.
West Kirby and Thurstaston councillor, Jeff Green, welcomed the survey, telling members: “I am sure everyone is aware of what a great facility it is. The number of people you see walking around the lake getting their exercise is enormous.
He added: “I hope we’ll also look into what might be required to ensure that that path is as usable as possible for everyone, because at the moment I think there are parts of it where actually if you are dealing with a wheelchair or something like that, you actually start to struggle because the edges are cracked.”
After the survey is carried out, consultation will take place with lake users and West Kirby Sailing Club before any decision is made on how to proceed.
