What is lake eutrophication?
Lake eutrophication is the process by which lakes are enriched by nutrients – usually phosphorus and nitrogen. Lakes that receive nutrients from human activities become “old” before their time. Accelerated aging is cultural eutrophication. Cultural nutrients come from municipal sewers (direct input or overflow) and storm sewers, faulty septic systems, lawn fertilizers, phosphorus-rich detergents (e.g. waste-water runoff from washing cars), runoff from agricultural fields, construction and excavation sites and poorly vegetated sites where erosion occurs. Enrichment leads to excessive plant growth in the form of algae and aquatic vascular plants (reeds or weeds). What happens if the Springfield Lake Community allows the lake to become overly eutrophic? 1) Lake water quality deteriorates (most easily recognized as a loss in water clarity). 2) Blooms of algae (algal scum and noxious blue-green algae) become frequent and persistent. 3) Persistent algal blooms lead to water that looks bad, s
