The alum will draw phosphorus out of the water column and also seal sediment on the lake bottom so that the nutrient can no longer feed algae.
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All articles filed in Aquatic Biology
Is it safe to eat the fish?
The short answer is, it depends.
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Salt continues to pollute Minnesota lakes and streams
Once concentrations are high enough, the chloride becomes toxic to fish and invertebrates and can even prevent lakes from turning over the in spring and fall.
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The secret life of the St. Croix’s freshwater mussels
“The St. Croix River is a rare example of a complete and intact river ecosystem,” explains Marian Shaffer, an Aquatic Biologist with the National Park Service. “In fact, all of the freshwater mussel species that existed in the St. Croix Riverway before European settlement are still here today.”
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Salt a growing problem for Minnesota’s water
Overall, the MPCA has determined that road salt is responsible for 42% of the chloride in groundwater, lakes and streams. Two other major sources of chloride that are less well-known include agricultural fertilizers (23% of the total chloride) and water softeners, which account for up to 65% of the chloride discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plants.
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Protecting Mill Stream and the St. Croix River
(IBI) scores that function much like grades on a report card. According to Mike Isensee, Administrator for the Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District, Mill Stream will likely get an IBI score of “B” in 2022.
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Heat Wave Spurs Harmful Algal Blooms in Some Minnesota Lakes
Usually, algae and aquatic plants are merely a nuisance, but sometimes a form of cyanobacteria known as blue-green algae can bloom and release toxins that make humans and animals sick.
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A Martha Stewart Guide to Lake Water Quality
Three variables – water clarity, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll – are combined to create a metric known as a trophic state index.
A few years back, Jerry Spetzman began noticing that the color of the algae samples on a white filter corresponded almost perfectly with the lakes’ overall water quality.
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Can that baby dragon fly?
Most people consider dragonflies and damselflies to be terrestrial flying insects, but in fact, they spend more than half of their lives in the water.
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Breaking Eurasian watermilfoil’s stranglehold on Minnesota Lakes
Researchers and lake associations search for new ways to control this aggressive invasive species. Meanwhile, watercraft inspections remain the first line of defense in preventing the spread of AIS.
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East Metro Water 