Registration:

Join HAB Aquatic Solutions, Lake County Health Department and the Illinois Lakes Management Association for an informative webinar on water quality. This event is FREE but requires registration.

Please register for the webinar on Eventbrite.

Event Description:

Poor water quality in lakes has many symptoms and most of them are caused by having too much algae in your lake. Such symptoms include scums, low clarity, odors, algal toxins, low oxygen levels, poor fishing, fish kills and reduced recreational and property values. What’s the cause of nuisance levels of algae? Too much phosphorus (P). Phosphorus is generally the nutrient that controls algal growth in lakes and lower amounts of P lead to lower amounts of algae and associated poor water quality symptoms. That’s why the main focus of appropriate and successful lake management is directed at P management. So, how is P in your lake best reduced and controlled? Well, that really depends on where is the P coming from. Too often we want to rush into trying a solution, while skipping the mundane steps of determining the sources and amounts of P entering the lake. This valuable diagnostic information is needed to design the appropriate solution (or solutions) and ensuring that the management plan will work. You are probably most familiar with P sources that originate from outside of the lake (external sources from the watershed) but recycling of P that has accumulated in the lakebed (internal sources) can be a primary and overlooked source. The solutions for these categories of sources are usually quite different and specific. For example, watershed best management practices are appropriate for external sources, while addressing lakebed P recycling with inactivants such as alum are best for internal sources.

Please join us for a webinar discussion why P management is important for your lake, with specific topics to include:
1) A successful approach to lake management (The 7 Key Steps)
2) Impacts of P on water quality and property values
3) Determining external vs. internal P sources
4) Cost-effect solutions
5) Use of alum to improve water quality when sediment P recycling is high

Questions? Contact Alana Bartolai at abartolai2@lakecountyil.gov or 847-377-8009