University Lake Park closes as officials respond to oil spill

A popular Anchorage off-leash dog park closed Wednesday because an oil spill reported last week in its lake was growing, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.

Portions of University Lake were blocked off with caution tape last week and signs urged dog owners to keep their pets from jumping in water where there was an oil sheen or smell.

The roughly 20-gallon spill was first reported on June 21 and cleanup efforts began the next day, said Kelly Rawalt, a public information officer with DEC.

Officials are still searching for the larger source of oil that led to the spill, Rawalt said, but the oil made its way to a device in the city’s drainage system that collects runoff water and separates oil from water, before the water is discharged into the lake. The device was overflowing because of the frequent rain in recent weeks and malfunctioned — expelling the oil into the lake instead of taking it out, she said.

The municipality emptied the device once the spill was discovered, Rawalt said.

Employees from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and the municipality are visiting the site daily to monitor the spill, according to Rawalt.

Booms were deployed last week, which help absorb and contain the oil, Rawalt said. The spill initially appeared to be contained to specific areas, but Rawalt said on Wednesday afternoon that the size of the sheen had grown, prompting the city to close the park.

It was not immediately clear how long the park would be closed or how long cleanup efforts would take.

Additional booms were deployed Wednesday and crews began removing vegetation that had oil on it, Rawalt said. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were using hazing methods to prevent wildlife from going near the area, Rawalt said.

Anyone who sees wildlife that may be impacted by the oil is asked to call 907-269-3063. Rawalt said one report had been made by Wednesday that indicated some ducks may have been impacted by the spill.