Not every lake that looks a little disheveled or high in algae needs immediate restoration. For many lakes teetering on the edge of developing issues, full lake restoration would simply be overkill. Knowing when a lake is damaged or degraded enough to deserve this kind of repair isn’t a matter of looking for just one sign or symptom either. A lake in need of rescue will likely show more than one of the following signs. Use the checklist below to evaluate lakes that are in decline, to determine when it’s time for restoration methods like installing flexible liners from BTL Liners.
Water Quality Issues
In general, restoration is initiated after the lake exhibits clear water quality issues. Yet, it’s not enough for the pH or nitrate levels of the water to go just out of the normal range to trigger major dredging or lining work. Most restoration projects begin when water testing discovers unsafe levels of toxic contaminants, heavy metals, fuel or oil, or other serious quality problems. Even delicate habitats for endangered species generally only undergo basic improvements instead of full restoration work, unless there’s a serious danger to the plants and animals living there.
Algae Blooms
Extensive algae blooms are a clear sign of nutrient issues; a common trigger for lake restoration. Years of nutrient build up can accumulate in the sediment, making it hard to improve the water quality and end the algae bloom cycle just with the addition of fresh water. Algae blooms do more than just make the pond look unattractive. These floating microscopic plants use up all the oxygen in the water when they’re growing too prolifically. This can kill off other plant life, fish, and even the microbes necessary for keeping the water quality balanced. Algae is often advertised as easy to treat with chemical methods alone, yet many lake owners find the blooms returning again and again despite the constant use of algaecide. Only more in-depth restoration methods, like dredging out sediment to deepen the water and cool it or watershed management to reduce nutrient supplies, will solve the algae cycle once and for all.
Blue-Green Algae Growth
The most dangerous form of algae is actually a type of bacteria known as blue-green algae or cyanobacteria. It’s hazardous to human life when drank, eaten, inhaled, or absorbed through mucous membranes. Someone who goes swimming in a lake with a blue-green algae bloom can become seriously ill; making the lake a liability for the owner or public agency operating it. Even if your private lake isn’t open to visitors, you could still end up responsible for the water making someone sick. Pets and wildlife, in particular, are sensitive to the negative effects of this bacteria since they’re smaller than humans. Blue-green algae growth is a sign a lake is seriously degraded, so lake restoration is usually required to restore the balance enough to stop its recurring development.
Weed Infestations
A few aquatic weeds settling in around the banks shouldn’t trigger a complete renovation of the lake. But, if the lake is completely choked with deeply rooted invasive plants like cattails and phragmites, restoration is likely required to restore the native habitat before it’s completely lost to overgrowth. Planted lakes are healthy ones, but monocultures of single plants are never as healthy as polycultures that combine many different species. Every new plant species that can blend into the mix of vegetation at a lake can invite as many as a dozen new insect and animal species. Biodiversity has a cascading effect, just like pollution and environmental damage, so lakes being overtaken by aggressive weeds are usually good candidates for extensive restoration.
Invasive Fish and Shellfish Species
As with invasive plant species, aggressively spreading fish and shellfish also need equally powerful control measures. Some species, like grass carp and zebra mussels, have so much potential for environmental and economic damage that they’re worth removing at almost any cost to natural habitat disturbance. Lining a lake that’s experiencing serious issues with invasive species may help control buried eggs and larvae that keep returning over and over again. In most cases, lining the lake from the start is a smarter move to make it easy to treat and identify invasive species as soon as they arrive.
Shallow Depth
Any lake that originally measured dozens of feet deep and is now only four or five feet deep is in serious need of restoration. Since dredging and sediment removal is a common technique used in restoration, it’s not surprising that it offers many benefits. Shallow lakes have warmer water, leading to more algae blooms that use up the oxygen and further shut down the cycle of water improvement. The nitrate cycle that breaks down natural waste in the lake can’t continue without a steady supply of oxygen. In some cases, if erosion has occurred over many years, excavation and grading are used to make a lake more shallow. Each lake will need a tailored approach to sculpting its profile for ideal water quality and long-term growth.
If there are still many questions about whether a particular lake might need restoration or lesser maintenance work, try contacting the local watershed protection agency or department of natural resources. Almost every state maintains services to advise lake owners on how to best manage their water features. You can also turn to us for help here at BTL Liners. We’ll happily recommend the flexible liners you need for lake projects of all kinds, including new construction and extensive restoration.
