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Originally Posted by snowbird
As for clarity, I have been a lake volunteer participant measuring water clarity each July for the past dozen years. Last year, there was a dramatic change, from 27 feet as measured by the Secchi disc in 2004, to only 19 feet last year. Nothing this dramatic had been observed in previous years. And there is a great increase in the bright green algae [inches to feet in diameter] that clings to rocks. There was none of this a few years ago.
I would describe our lake as still pristine up to about five years ago. Not anymore.
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It will be interesting to see if the lake cleans up this year. As I recall, last year there were heavy spring rains and the lake was at unusually high levels. We blamed the lack of clarity on the excessive spring run-off and water lapping at new ground. This year, we had virtually no snow for run-off, it has been a fairly dry spring, and the lake level is very low for this time of year. So - will we see it more clear? I hope so! For those waiting for a report on the pristine nature of Winni - I think you can find those reports among the writers in this forum. My experience on the lake is only a bit over 20 years, but I assure you, the differences from the early 1980s are easy to see. More weeds, less clarity, more algae blooms, fewer fresh-water clams. It is difficult to find a clean sandy bottom any more. 20 years ago, it was easy. The lake is not pristine any more. Take a swim, let your hair dry, and notice how crinkly it is. Or, swim in a t-shirt, let it dry, and notice how it can practically stand on its own because it is so stiff. There is lots of "stuff" in the water. We can
discuss the cause, but the results are not up for debate.