By Jason Luce, Lake Management Scientist

Throughout history, humans have always been drawn to water. Each of us undoubtedly has positive memories centered around a lake, pond or river. After all, these resources have forever played an important role in the health, happiness and functionality of our communities by serving as sources of food, drinking water and recreation. But as our world becomes increasingly developed, the risk of spreading aquatic plant species to non-native regions is at an all-time high. Once established in new ecosystems, invasive species can threaten local wildlife, impede recreational activities, even interfere with management of stormwater.

The eradication of invasive species can certainly be viewed as an investment in the long-term safety and enjoyment of our water resources, but how can we accomplish this sustainably?

Through SOLitude’s corporate volunteering and community outreach program, The SOLution, the company has named Customer Service Representative Flo Paterno of Pompano, FL, as Volunteer of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2020. Flo helped lead many impactful volunteering initiatives from July through September.

As one the most active members of The SOLution program, she plays an important role in identifying volunteering efforts for her local office. Over the last quarter, Flo has positively impacted the lives of senior citizens and youth by creating relationships and learning opportunities.

As we enter the cooler season, recreation around lakes and ponds slows, but it doesn’t have to stop completely! Fall is the perfect time to get started with unique fishing activities AND take a closer look at your goals and maintenance needs for your fishery in the upcoming year.

Check out our top 4 articles highlighting everything to consider this fall in order to enhance your fishery for years to come!

Written by Dylan Kwak, Fisheries & Wildlife Scientist

Developing a thriving trophy fishery is no easy task. To be successful, you must consider the various factors that could restrict productivity and develop a plan to create the ideal environment for fish growth. Growing massive and healthy largemouth bass or tiger muskies can be achieved by considering these three facets for successful fisheries management:

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), approximately 40% of the American population lives within coastal counties in 2015. This coincides with a 40% population increase in these same coastal counties from 1970 to 2010, in an area which makes up only 10% of the country’s total land mass. As anyone living along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts can tell you, populations have only continued to increase over the last five years. It is unsurprising then that a large concern of many homeowners in these areas is the threat of hurricanes and the associated damage.

AS SEEN IN Community Association Institute (CAI) Pennsylvania and Delaware Valley.

Oxygen is essential to life, including the desirable life that lives below the surface of our lakes and ponds. When pollution, invasive aquatic weed growth and nuisance algae blooms cover the surface of the water, this prevents dissolved oxygen, or DO, from reaching the areas that need it. The result—poor water quality, bad odors, bottom muck, massive fish kills and potentially deadly toxic algae blooms.

Luckily, several lake and pond aeration solutions are available to naturally correct imbalanced DO conditions—each with their own unique benefits and limitations:

Written by Erin Stewart, Aquatic Biologist & Regional Manager and Katelyn Behounek, Aquatic Biologist

When developing a management plan for a lake or pond, it is important to keep its purpose and priorities in mind. Is it strictly aesthetic? Is it used for fishing or recreation? Maybe it facilitates irrigation, drinking water, fire suppression or stormwater collection? An effective freshwater management program can be compared to the importance of each leg on a “three-legged stool.” Just like the legs supporting the stool, many water resources are interdependent, meaning that the actions taken in the watershed could cause imbalances that have negative consequences downstream.

Think of each “leg” of this metaphorical three-legged stool as representative of the (1) physical, (2) chemical, and (3) biological components of a freshwater resource. If one part of this trinity breaks down, the others will follow. To ensure each of these aspects is protected, it’s important to understand the ways in which they contribute to the health of a waterbody and how to identify imbalances when they arise.

Written by industry expert Marc Bellaud, Director of Technical Services

As seen in Lakeline Magazine, a publication of the North America Lake Management Society (NALMS). NALMS' mission is to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals to foster the management and protection of lakes and reservoirs for today and tomorrow. Founded in Portland, Maine in 1980, this organization has grown into one of the largest societies in the lake and pond industry.

Similar to what has occurred with technology, the science of applied lake management has evolved considerably over the past three decades. This evolution has occurred partly because of scientific advancements and partly out of need. Pressures from continued development, agricultural practices, climate change, greater recreational usage and increasing water demands are adversely impacting lakes at an accelerated rate. Fortunately, there is greater awareness of the challenges, and applied lake managers now have more tools at their disposal than ever before.

Lake management needs and solutions vary considerably depending on the type of waterbody, its uses, geographic location and the particular challenges it is facing. Many of the old axioms remain true. First, every lake and pond is different. This needs to be taken into account as lake management plans are being developed. Assessment, monitoring and even permitting requirements must be appropriate for the size and type of waterbody, and for the management strategy being proposed. Second, prevention is the most effective form of management. No one can dispute the concept that preventing a highly invasive aquatic plant like hydrilla from being introduced to a lake is more preferable than trying to manage it once it’s established, or that eliminating nutrient sources in the watershed is better than trying to control harmful algal blooms (HABs) once they develop in a nutrient-rich system. However, the unfortunate reality is many of our lakes have already been adversely impacted, and in-lake management is often needed to preserve desirable conditions and to prevent further deterioration.

Lake, stormwater pond, wetland and fisheries management is a complex field full of surprising puzzles and never-ending challenges. Effective management of our water resources depends on many different factors, making it critically important to understand the unique characteristics of your waterbody and identify how these elements can change over time. This is where data comes in. Modern tools and technologies have enabled freshwater management scientists to gain deeper insights into the unique physical, chemical and biological components in your waterbody and make more informed decisions about your management approach.

There are many different data gathering tools; some of the most widely-used are water quality assessments, bathymetric mapping and electrofishing. Your lake management professional may utilize some or all of these methods depending on your goals and budget. Each method provides vital information that simply cannot be determined with visual inspections.

Written by Robert Truax, Environmental Scientist

This property is a community located in the greater Scottsdale, AZ area. The community lies within the Indian Bend Wash, an oasis of parks, waterbodies, paths and golf courses traversing 11 miles through the heart of Scottsdale. As a master planned community, it boasts and demands a premium level of quality in every facet of community life, including the 10 lakes and ponds that are encompassed by the property.

In recent years, a three-lake system on the property had been plagued by a rare form of algae called Botryococcus braunii. These particular algae out-compete other algae species by altering surrounding bacteria to benefit itself, while using available phosphorus to replicate in high numbers. The result of the bloom is an oil-like slick on the surface of the water that is caused by the high amounts of hydrocarbons that the algae produces. This can be quite disturbing and foul smelling to local residents. Blooms such as these can also be detrimental to surrounding fish populations and other aquatic species.