In March, your lake in northeast Illinois and southeast Wisconsin is transitioning from the Winter chill to warmer weather. The water temperature is still cold, limiting significant plant or algae growth. But activity is starting to happen, some that you can’t necessarily see, that will impact how your lake “behaves” come Summer.
When aquatic plants are fully grown and have reached the surface of your lake or pond (we call this “topping out”), manually removing them using specialized equipment is often the best solution. This entails raking, pulling, or cutting the plants and removing them from the water. Manually removing excessive aquatic plants from a lake can offer several benefits
Plants and algae are essential for all living things. However, excessive algae growth, often called an algae bloom, can negatively affect a lake’s ecosystem and surroundings. ILM explores some of the reasons why too much algae can be detrimental.
The emergent zone in a lake refers to the area along the shoreline where emergent plants grow. These plants are rooted in the sediment beneath the water but extend above the surface, often forming a dense vegetation belt along the water’s edge.
