Sometimes you get sick. Did you know your lake can too? You may stumble upon a “closed” sign at your favorite spot on the water and wonder why is my lake closed? Just as you can get sick if you fail to properly take care of yourself, it’s also possible for your lake or pond’s health to suffer without proper management, requiring swimming, fishing and other recreation to be put on hold while water quality is restored.

One of the most common reasons your waterbody may be closed is the presence of certain algal species. While many forms of algae are harmless, certain species known as cyanobacteria (often referred to as blue-green algae) may develop. If left unmanaged, these harmful algal blooms (HABs) can become so severe that they produce toxins that are harmful to wildlife, livestock, pets and public health. Suitable conditions that encourage these HABs include: warm water temperatures, increased pH levels, stagnant water, an abundance of light exposure and excessive nutrient levels. Environmental scientists are still learning about the specific effects of toxin exposure, but evidence suggests harmful algal bloom toxins may lead to the development of neurological, physiological and respiratory problems—and, in extreme cases, even death.

Through SOLitude's volunteering and community outreach program, The SOLution, the company has named Assistant Regional Manager Errol Walsh and Aquatic Specialist Scott Dye as co-Volunteers of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2019. Based in Central Florida, the two have been active through recurring volunteer initiatives benefiting their local community of Seminole County.

During the second quarter, Errol and Scott have volunteered extensively during weekends and in their personal time with the Seminole Education, Restoration, and Volunteer (SERV) Program, an organization that partners with local biologists, lake residents, and students to complete invasive species pulls, shoreline stabilization projects and other environmental restoration efforts. Collectively, Errol and Scott participated in seven events.

SOLitude Lake Management is pleased to officially welcome six of its newest hires to the company’s growing team. These accomplished professionals, spanning from the Northeast to the West, bring extensive experience and a passion for restoring the health and beauty of aquatic ecosystems in their local communities.

Lauren Malinis is an environmental scientist in Benicia, CA. She specializes in monitoring aquatic ecosystems and providing sustainable solutions that achieve the long-term goals of her clients. She is a knowledgeable resource with an array of industry experience and achievements. Lauren earned a degree in Environmental Science with a focus on Marine and Coastal Ecology at California State University Monterey Bay.

Zachary Cartwright is a fisheries scientist based out of Chesapeake, VA. He assists clients with the environmentally-sustainable management of their aquatic ecosystems throughout the region. He specializes in the installation and maintenance of floating fountains and aeration systems, managing aquatic vegetation and restoring water quality. Zachary earned his degree in Fisheries Conservation from Virginia Tech.

AS SEEN IN Pond Boss: Written by David Beasley, Director of Fisheries 

For avid pondmeisters, there’s not much worse than the sinking feeling of disbelief followed by the rush of anxiety when you stroll to your favorite fishing hole, only to be greeted by hundreds or thousands of white bellies floating around your pond. It’s sickening. Developing and managing a productive fishery requires ongoing effort and attention to detail. It takes fisheries biologists years of practice before we learn enough to maintain high odds of success, and even then, Mother Nature has a way of making things difficult. Even with extensive experience on a biologist’s side, the risk of failure looms.

A significant failure biologists face is when a waterbody falls victim to a fish kill. When a fish kill occurs, it is typically a result of a lethal drop in dissolved oxygen levels. For most warm water fisheries, this oxygen crash tends to occur in the summer months when water temperatures are above 80 degrees. Warm water temperatures, teamed with multiple cloudy days in a row or a rapid drop in surface water temperature from a heavy thunderstorm, are the primary events that trigger fish kills.

Written by Greg Blackham, Aquatic Specialist

Cyanobacteria, often referred to as blue-green algae, are changing the way providers of green consulting services approach algae management in lakes and ponds. Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) treatments reached an all-time high in 2018. HABs have the potential to be highly toxic and can severely impact the health and wellbeing of all nearby humans, pets and wildlife. The devastating effects of harmful algal blooms have been witnessed repeatedly throughout the US over the past 10 years. There is no area of the country that is safe from threat of HABs, as two recent catastrophes from very different parts of the country show us. We can, however, learn from these natural ecological disasters and implement proactive lake management strategies to help avoid them in the future.

Independence Day is often celebrated with boating and barbecues, but this year the SOLitude team is making a conscious effort to appreciate and uplift the heroes who make these celebrations possible.

Last week, more than 65 SOLitude team members across California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Missouri, Florida and Virginia crafted handmade 'thank you' letters for inclusion in care packages sent to troops, first responders, veterans, and caregivers. The effort is in collaboration with a nonprofit organization called Operation Gratitude, which has donated more than 2 million care packages to our nation's heroes since 2003. 

J. Wesley Allen, Environmental Scientist and Regional Manager 

When development companies design community associations with lakes and stormwater ponds, they envision them as beautiful aquatic resources to attract homeowners, connect with nature and enhance the surrounding property. Without proper management, however, these waterbodies can quickly become eye-sores that produce harmful algae and bad odors, lead to damaged and eroded shorelines, and result in displeased community members.

Most aquatic management professionals will tell you that when a property manager calls about an issue at their waterbody, it’s often past the point of a quick fix. This is regularly the case when we arrive onsite to look at an erosion issue on a lake or pond embankment. Rather than finding a few problematic patches of rock or soil, we discover steep, unstable banks, deep washouts and extensive bottom muck caused by years without an erosion control plan in place.

With the goal of making the management of our precious lakes, stormwater ponds, wetlands and fisheries more effective and more eco-friendly than ever, SOLitude Lake Management, the largest aquatic management firm in the nation, has published a wealth of new and enhanced information covering all aspects of aquatic management.

The 8 industry reports comprise the collective knowledge and insights of SOLitude's nationwide team of biologists, ecologists and environmental scientists, many of whom hold Master's degrees and PhDs in their respective subject areas. They also include exclusive information about recent technologies and advancements in the aquatic management industry, including nanobubble aeration, bio-engineered shorelines, highly-selective herbicides and more. 

By releasing this information for free to the public, SOLitude aims to show that the sustainable management of aquatic resources is both attainable and budget-friendly when supported by proactive techniques and the expertise of professionals.

Summer means longer, sunnier days filled with fishing, boating and other outdoor activities. But as the warm weather arrives, it can create conditions that may be dangerous for the health and well-being of your family and the environment. Implementing the following proactive and sustainable strategies—or working with your homeowners association, parks service or municipality to do so—can help prevent harmful algal blooms, nuisance mosquitoes and the spread of dangerous invasive plants throughout the summer.

Written by Erin Stewart, Aquatic Biologist and Regional Manager, Colorado

The use of biochar is an emerging technology in nutrient management. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, in suitable quantities, are necessary for aquatic ecosystems to flourish. However, excess nutrients introduced to lakes and ponds through human impact, leaf debris and stormwater runoff can lead to the growth of nuisance plants and algae blooms. Restoring balance to a lake or pond plagued with water quality issues, or proactively preventing these issues, can be naturally achieved with the latest technology in nutrient management: biochar.

Biochar is produced from wood products processed in a high heat, low oxygen environment to create a highly porous, carbon-rich substrate. The physical structure and ionic properties of the biochar creates an affinity to absorb contaminants. Independent laboratory testing of contaminated water has shown significant removal of nutrients, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and even suspended solids by the introduction of biochar.