Every so often, one of our Lake Management clients calls to say, “Our lake is fixed! It looks great, so we don’t need you guys anymore.” On the one hand, this means that we’ve done our job; on the other hand, our job’s not really done, because no lake in Georgia is ever truly “fixed.”
Just like people, lakes experience the aging process. A key component of this process is eutrophication, which is the buildup of nutrients, sediment, and plant material that slowly fills up the lake basin. Natural eutrophication happens over centuries, but the process is greatly accelerated for man-made lakes in urban watersheds, where stormwater events, land-disturbing activities, and recreational use introduce nutrients and sediment at a much faster rate. Without intervention, eutrophication will inevitably cause reduced water quality, algal blooms, and growth of unwanted aquatic vegetation.
Other factors can also quickly turn pristine water into a murky mess. Wildlife may introduce invasive aquatic weeds from one water body into another; homeowners may dump grass clippings or other yard waste into the water, adding excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus; a major rain event may cause excessive sediment influx. Long periods of high temperatures in the summer create the perfect conditions for some combination of these dynamics to cause a sudden algal bloom, rapid growth of an aquatic weed species, or an increase in turbidity.
Ongoing lake management is a cost that can seem unnecessary when the lake looks good. Intervention efforts may not be necessary every month, but even on visits when we need to do no more than check the water conditions, we’re keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble ahead. A lake is an active ecosystem, and trouble can happen fast.
