Increasingly, lakes are being degraded by a range of factors. The most prominent is phosphorus pollution from manure and eroding cropland.

Phosphorus enrichment causes rapid growth of phytoplankton, which overgrows habitats such as wetlands and macrophytes. This decreases humic inputs and zooplanktonic grazers such as large fishes. This increases the risks of invasive species, destruction, and algal blooms.

Increased Water Clarity

When algae blooms occur in your lake, they are an indicator that you don’t have enough sunlight in your lake. This can greatly impact the amount of plant growth in your lake.

It can also affect the water clarity, which means less sunlight gets to underwater plants and fish. This can mean that the animals in your lake must eat more to get the necessary nutrients.

A beneficial bacteria treatment is the best way to increase the number of aquatic plants in your lake. These naturally occurring bacteria help underwater plants grow and prosper. They can also keep your algae levels down and help reduce the amount of nutrient load in your lake.

Reduced Nutrient Load

A nutrient-rich environment encourages algae blooms, which may lead to water clarity loss and a lake ecosystem breakdown. Nutrient pollution from untreated sewage, industrial wastewater, and fertilizer runoff leads to eutrophication in surface waters.

Eutrophication causes a rapid decrease in the diversity of aquatic plants and algae and the production of dissolved organic matter. It is a common cause of lake degradation.

Lake resilience mechanisms, developed through natural selection and genetic variation, buffer lakes against fluctuations in nutrient inputs from various sources. These include a structural change at the species level that stabilizes ecosystem process rates and functional compensation that allows some organisms to survive. In contrast, others decline, and biological filtration keeps nutrients suspended rather than depositing them in the sediment layer.

Improved Water Quality

Beneficial bacteria are the microbes that naturally occur in lakes and ponds, processing dead organic material into nutrients. Aerobic bacteria break down dead material rapidly, while anaerobic bacteria work more slowly without oxygen.

These beneficial bacteria also help decompose dead algae into dissolved oxygen, a key part of water quality. Once the dead matter is broken down, it can no longer support the growth of nuisance algae and other undesirable species that can negatively impact the health of your lake.

It’s important to understand that improving your lake’s water quality can be as easy as minimizing stormwater runoff and maintaining a shoreline landscape rich in native plants. This can help keep sediments from filling the lake and enhance its natural beauty. Proper aquatic management can improve your lake’s water quality and keep it healthy for many years to come.

Reduced Nuisance Algae Blooms

If you’re looking for the answer to restoring your lake’s ecosystem, there is a key ingredient you may not know about. Beneficial bacteria are natural microbes that break down dead organic material and help reduce nutrient buildup in the water.

They can also perform denitrification, transforming nitrate into nitrogen gas that is then removed from the system.

Nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen are often the root cause of nuisance algae blooms. These nutrients enter aquatic ecosystems, including farm runoff, sewage treatment plants, and septic systems.

These nutrients can suffocate other fish and plant life when they exceed safe levels. It turns the water green, smells bad, and can harm humans and pets.

Increased Fish & Wildlife Activity

Having an abundance of good bacteria in your pond can be the key to restoring your lake’s ecosystem. Beneficial bacteria deprive nuisance algae of phosphorus and nitrogen and promote the growth of diatoms, providing clean water and increasing fish and wildlife activity.

Algae blooms are a natural part of the lake’s ecosystem, but excessive amounts can clog a pond’s filtration system and create a toxic environment for fish and aquatic animals. They can also produce a thick layer of scum on the water’s surface and alter water color, odor, and taste.

Adding beneficial bacteria to your pond is inexpensive to reduce or eliminate algae blooms. However, these products must be added frequently to maintain a healthy population.