When it is functional, Lake Albert is a meeting place for sporting and community groups, both in and out of the water.

It's played host to many public events, such as New Year's Eve, weekly parkruns and community fundraisers but of late, it's been causing some concern.

For countless months, bordering on years now, Lake Albert has been plagued by algae and a lack of water. 

The lake's shores are still accessible for leisurely walks or bike rides and any community event on the sidelines.

But access to the water itself has been limited and that's where the troubles begin.

It's causing environmental problems and costing the city in tourism dollars with a number of events having to cancel holding their events on the poisonous waters.

Residents have been crying out for months for council to fix it and a petition started at the weekend to show a strength in numbers.

The petition gained signatures at a rapid rate but there has never been a question about whether residents want the lake fixed.

The questions have always been about what the best solution would be and how council would pay for it.

Is it time that Wagga crowd funded Lake Albert?

Are residents willing to put their money where their mouth is?

Or is it really just not the problems of residents to fund and fix the lake?

Solutions have been thrown about but usually discounted for practical or monetary reasons.

It is one thing to say the lake needs to be fixed, we know this, but surely there is someone out there with a solution not yet thought of.

And this issue is just as frustrating for councillors as it is for residents.

They themselves are residents and most have admitted to using the lake on numerous occasions. 

It's hard to watch as a Wagga icon lays in wait but if there's no money and no suitable solution, what's left to do?