8334-R3_ML&P_LSLA_2023_SummerNewsletter_Web

Surface / Sub-Surface What’s Happening

Algae-Natural Occurrence-Keeping a Watchful Eye

Algae lurks in the sub straits of the water column giving poor Secchi disc (clarity) readings. When the water warms and the sunlight becomes strong the trapped gases will cause it to float to the surface. Wind is another factor that contributes to where it occurs. It appears in various areas of the lake one year and in a different area the next. It can appear in a couple of days, typically last a couple of weeks, die and while decomposing sink to the bottom; if close to shore it appears as scattered brown residue. Weather seems to be a factor. Run-off caring phosphorus exacerbates growth. While the lake association is trying to grapple with how

Shoreline Light Pollution – Request from your lake neighbors Years ago, one could look south and see the bright lights of Windham. Now bright lights are more prevalent just looking across the lake. This not only makes it difficult to see planets and star gaze at night; glare also bounces off the water and can actually pierce into rooms making it difficult to see or sleep. The negative impacts are not only experienced by humans. Prolonged exposure to bright lights has the potential to cause damage to the eyes of owls by saturating their photoreceptor cells. Prey that uses night as cover are more vulnerable to capture. Nighttime glare can disrupt wetland frogs and toads that emit mating calls only at night, reducing reproduction. Bright lights also interfere with birds’ migration and disrupt insect food webs. The good news is – there are simple changes we can make to reduce our impact on the night. The general principles are: to remediate phosphorus overload, one way is to rake your beaches in the fall to eliminate decaying leaves which create nutrients for algae growth. If you find algae in the summer, use a pool net to scoop the algae and place it in your flower gardens, it has lots of nutrients for growth! So far, we have not experienced algae with bacteria. If you see areas of green growth, notify our water quality team by contacting info@littlesebagolake.com. The team will record where it is located, date the occurrence, and visit the site if needed.

24