(KRON) — The City of Oakland recently installed a new aeration fountain in Lake Merritt to improve water quality for wildlife.

The fountain is part of the Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Pilot Project initiated in response to a 2022 Harmful Algal Bloom.

The species Heterosigma akashiwo caused Harmful Algal Blooms in many waterways around the Bay Area in August and September of 2022. Last year’s blooms of excessive algae resulted in a mass fish die-off in Lake Merritt. The lake was plagued by a stinky smell and brown sludge for weeks, and crews removed thousands of pounds of dead aquatic wildlife.

A new bloom was detected in the San Francisco Bay on August 1, 2023, according to the Oakland Public Works Department. Lake Merritt is a tidal slough connected to the bay.

City officials are trying to combat HAB’s in the lake with the fountain and an underwater device.

The new fountain is located near the Pergola by El Embarcadero Avenue. “By mixing air into the water, the fountain will improve dissolved oxygen levels in the lake, helping to maintain an oxygenated refuge for aquatic life. The design and spray settings on the new fountain maximize benefit to wildlife,” Oakland Public Works officials wrote.

By early September, a second device for increasing dissolved oxygen will be installed in the Glen Echo arm of the Lake, near the intersection of Grand and Harrison Avenue. This device will sit on the bottom of the lake and will not be visible from the shore. The device will dissolve oxygen directly into the water.

City officials said more blooms could appear as summer progresses and hot weather continues.