The challenges with Shreveport's water are well-documented.
The same is true for the many efforts, including expensive equipment purchases, to rectify water quality issues.
Almost every Shreveport resident has experienced problems with the color, taste, and clarity of water from Shreveport's water system.
Many explanations have been provided by city officials, most notably former DOWUS Director William Daniel. However, Daniel rarely, if ever, talked publicly about the accumulation of sentiment in Cross Lake.
How much sediment has accumulated on the lake's bed is unknown. Some say that it is two to three feet in certain areas. There is no question that the buildup continues 24/7 every day of the year.
There is no stopping sediment buildup.. Waters flowing into the lake carry dirt particles that "settle" when the water stream is diminished and/or when the water is pooled. Runoff of water into the lake also carries dirt particles that often end up on the bottom of the lake.
Sediment buildup in Cross Lake presents two problems.
The first is the diminished capacity of water that the lake can contain. The only remedy for this challenge is dredging the lake. Needless to say, this course of action will trigger many other issues, including cost. How soon this issue becomes problematic is not known, although it is likely not an issue for many years depending on water demand on the system and water flow into the lake.
The more troublesome issue is basically an unknown, that being how much the sediment buildup affects water quality. There have been many public discussions about algae blooms and lake turnover with varying explanations. The water quality issues have entered around manganese and geosmin levels in the lake which most likely are in the lake's sediment.
Cross Lake is the only source of Shreveport's water system. There is no backup water supply. Bossier City pulls water out of the Red River for its city water. Maybe Shreveport should start considering this option.