BALLARAT City councillor Judy Verlin yesterday confirmed all water activities would return to Lake Wendouree by spring.Cr Verlin also said she was “absolutely confident” the 100th Head of the Lake would return to Ballarat next year, despite ongoing concerns delays in weed cutting and dredging could force the event back to Geelong’s Barwon River.At last week’s ordinary council meeting Cr Samantha McIntosh asked if council could be guaranteed that rowing would return for its centenary year.“Can we be assured that the beginning of the next rowing season will not be interfered with?” Cr McIntosh said.Council’s destinations and connections director Jeff Pulford said works were “absolutely on target” to ensure rowing returned next year.“Rowing will return in full next year,” Mr Pulford said.Cr Verlin said weed cutting was now under way with dredging to begin in spring after it was delayed eight weeks due to the lake being overfull.“The community has questioned why we didn’t do this when the lake was dry but all the advice given to us was to allow the lake to come back in a healthy environment to minimise algae bloom and to allow the lake to settle into its natural environment,” Cr Verlin said.She also said council had relied on advice from experts in its management of the lake.“The users have been very supportive of all the logic behind the dredging, filling and weed cutting,’’ she said.“All these decisions were made based on the best advice given by the Department of Sustainability, the EPA and the user groups.”Cr Verlin said it would be wonderful to also see paddle steamers back on the lake.Two five-year licences have been issued to the Golden City Paddle Steamer Museum Society and Anthony Kierce to operate passenger ferry services by December 31.“I keep saying it but these are all wonderful milestones for the lake,” Cr Verlin said.Meanwhile, an order for the controversial Begonia Princess ferry to be removed from the lake within 28 days was served on owner Greg Austin on April 28.The boat was marooned on the lake floor during the drought in 2006 and has been blocking the Golden City Paddle Steamer Museum Society’s boatshed since. Mr Austin has already been served one order for its removal but has been trying to sell the vessel.