EUSTIS, Fla. — Lake Gracie was almost entirely covered by plant life and muck last year, and hardly resembled the one-time vacation destination spot.

• Residents get contractor to clear Lake Gracie
• Lake was once almost entirely covered by muck, plant life
• City of Eustis offered to haul away debris for free

But after years of battling the city of Eustis, neighbors living near the lake banded together and paid a contractor $14,000 to clear the lake.

Neighborhood leader Dennis Kirst said, “The water level dropped and that allowed the weeds to take over the lake bottom again. At one point I was mowing all the way across the lake here, to the neighbor’s house.”

The city originally came up with a plan to dredge the lake's sediment at a cost of $15 million. That plan was scrapped due to exorbitant price, however, the city did offer to clear away debris for free.

Residents say the lake now looks three times larger than it did before work began a week ago.