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

Written by Industry Expert Kyle Finerfrock, Environmental Scientist

You may not realize it, but if you live in a heavily-populated area, most waterbodies you see are man-made. While they often provide aesthetic beauty and serve as a small habitat for birds and fish, they are primarily designed to collect stormwater and capture pollutants during rain events. Without these stormwater ponds in place, our communities would suffer from increased flooding, erosion and nutrient pollution. This is why it is critically important to ensure your stormwater pond is functioning properly at all times. Practicing the following proactive management strategies will go a long way in keeping your pond in peak condition:

Written by Industry Expert Glenn Sullivan, Environmental Scientist

The only known Water Soldier infestation in North America...

Canada’s Trent-Severn Waterway provides a link between Lake Ontario in the southeast and Georgian Bay in the northwest, allowing boat navigation for its entire 240- mile length through a system of rivers and lakes, and 41 locks. Water Soldier (Stratoides aloides), an invasive aquatic plant that forms impenetrable mats on the water surface, infested an area of approximately 700 acres within the Trent-Severn Waterway. The infestation was first reported in the Trent River, in September of 2008, and is considered the only known Water Soldier infestation in all of North America.

Written by Industry Expert Emily Walsh, Environmental Scientist 

If you own or manage a lake or pond, you’ve likely heard of hydro-raking as a unique management tool utilized by aquatic professionals to remove aquatic vegetation. A hydro-rake is essentially a floating barge supporting a mounted backhoe and rake attachment that can remove up to 500 pounds of lake and pond muck, aquatic plant material and organic debris in a single scoop.

For the 6th year running, SOLitude is excited to kick off of the company’s annual tree planting campaign in honor of Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 27). The efforts, which are supported by SOLitude’s corporate volunteering and community outreach program, The SOLution, will benefit the National Forest Foundation.

Contributing is Easy!

For every new social media follower or blog subscriber throughout the month of April, SOLitude has pledged to plant two new pine trees through the National Forest Foundation’s tree planting program. To increase the number of trees donated this year, follow SOLitude Lake Management on all of your favorite social media platforms. 

Written by Industry Expert Erin Stewart, Aquatic Biologist & Regional Leader 

When it comes to the management of a lake or pond, many people look for natural and environmentally friendly options. There are, in fact, many eco-friendly solutions that can be used to help improve aquatic environments. And these strategies are often employed as part of a proactive lake and pond management program.

Stocking your lake or pond with the appropriate fish can be beneficial to your waterbody in a variety of ways. Whether you're looking to control algae blooms, enhance your forage base, improve recreational fishing or simply grow an excellent food source, tilapia may be the ideal fish for your lake or pond. Tilapia are tropical fish that can provide numerous benefits to a waterbody if stocked correctly. These fish are more than a delicious entrée, they are a species that can bring balance to your ecosystem and improve your fishery.

SOLitude Lake Management wants your lake or pond to be pre­pared for warm weather. With this in mind, we recommend that you consider the following during the spring months:

Have your lake or pond’s water quality professionally tested. Find out early in the season if there is an imbalance in the water.

SOLitude Lake Management is accepting nominations for free waterbody makeover services through the company’s Love Your Lake program. The annual initiative aims to support non-profit charities and foundations in dire need of recreational lake and pond restoration, with the goal of improving outdoor experiences for disadvantaged or special needs children, disabled individuals, or veterans and servicemembers.

Written by Industry Expert Paul Conti, Environmental Scientist

Lakes and ponds are home to many aquatic plant species that function as food sources for fish and animals, and provide aesthetic beauty to onlookers. In order to maintain this kind of life in any pond, nutrients must be present. Among many types of nutrients found in a waterbody, the most significant nutrients are phosphorous and nitrogen. Despite the importance of these nutrients for aquatic health, an overabundance can cause serious issues. For the effective management of a community lake or stormwater facility, it is important to understand why a healthy balance of nutrients is critical to sustaining a waterbody, as well as ways to encourage this balance when the ecological health of the aquatic system is threatened.