Our lake continues to warm, but it is trending below the peak temperature we saw in 2022. Water temperature at the lake bottom will continue to increase due to our aeration system. Although we had a warm May that differed from last year, the relatively cool summer has moderated the lake temperature somewhat and should lead to a reduced peak temperature.
Water clarity has not changed much in the past month. It will increase a bit when we sample next week due to our alum application that will take place July 25-28.
Phytoplankton in Lakewood Bay has increased quite a bit since June. We are seeing more cyanobacteria along with diatoms so we will have to keep an eye on the trend. Currently the volume is not concerning, but we will see if the July 31 sample shows continued cyanobacteria growth.
Phytoplankton in the main lake are not very high, but are trending towards cyanobacteria. Our alum application this week will strip out a lot of the cyanobacteria and the phosphorus they feed on, reducing the overall population for the remainder of the summer.
West Bay is an amazing generator of diatoms, with a peak of over 25 million um^3/ml in late May. This will persist throughout the year with diatoms dominating, but at a reduced overall biovolume. As of July 17th the bay is still dominated by diatoms, but with a much reduced population compared to the late May peak.
