Earlier this week Prospect Park spokesman Eugene Patron sent out an email regarding how to keep the green space clean this summer, including tips on safely disposing of barbecue coals, and where to properly dispose of garbage. Hint: dumping these things in the lake is not the correct way!

The lake has previously been the sight of many animal deaths (from animal-on-animal crime, some mysterious Santeria-like incidents and fishing line discarded by humans). Many locals have questioned the cleanliness of the water, and a WPIX reporter who lives in the area recently pulled a television from the lake. He later brought it to Central Park, asking if this kind of thing would be accepted there. Now the Daily News is getting on board and says the lake is brimming with garbage, charcoal brisquets and other things that don't belong there.

Park administrator Tupper Thomas admits the lake could be cleaner, but says that staff are sent out there each day after other areas are tidied up. She told the paper, "We have to keep on top of it, and it's obvious that we're not doing a good enough job." Bob Ipcar, of a dog owner group called FIDO, chimed in saying, "If you and I could see this stuff, surely someone from the Parks Department could reach in and grab it. It's common sense." But isn't it also common sense for citizens like Ipcar to lend a helping hand and just reach down and grab the garbage? For his part, FIDO has donated recycling bins for fishing line.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Paper continues their Prospect Park Lake watchdog series with a new horrifying discovery: turtle traps! Patron was hesitant to declare the mechanism found as a sign of poaching, but a local fisherman told the paper, “It’s clearly not a fish trap, because no fish could get caught in it. A turtle was not blessed with the grace of a fish, so it wouldn’t be able to get out of there quickly—it’s a crude trap, but I can’t imagine what else [someone] would be going after with that thing.”