[Lakegeezer]

It is likely that the recent heavy rain has had an impact on the water quality. We've had over six inches in the past week, including two periods of 3" within 24 hours. That's like flushing the toilet. Heavy runoff erodes new spots, bringing new sources of nutrients to the lake. Add to that the extremely high water levels. New shoreline is exposed to natural and boat wake wave action, which brings new sources of sediment into the lake. Several mitigating factors. Poor weather in June has kept the boat traffic down, so bottom wash and shoreline erosion was less than it might have been. More interesting and less understood is the impact of a heavy dose of ocean sourced rain. Being heavier and of a different PH, a multi-inch dose falls through the water column and clarifies it. The column ends up cleaner for a while, but then the runoff arrives and balances the benefits. Geese, old septic systems, fertilizer, poor enforcement of shoreline rules and better reporting are all factors too. Best thing we can do is keep collecting data for analysis, educate people on best practices and do our own small part. Anyone that is close to or using the lake is helping to accelerate its aging. We can try to reduce the acceleration but that is about it.