Welcome back to the lake everyone! This is our 3rd year with the new tracking system. Our Spring water quality sampling took place on May 16th and all the numbers came back within normal ranges. A few tests that stand out. The Dissolved Oxygen level for each testing site is higher compared to last Spring. Cooler waters maybe the explanation because they hold more oxygen for plant and fish life. The E.coli level at the Grass Lake Rd. test site is the lowest Spring level in 3 years. This is good news as we move into the summer lake season. Suspended Solids at the Betts Ditch sample site is up quite a bit even though it is still within healthy ranges. Nitrates, Nitrogen levels are steadily increasing in our lakes every year. While they are within normal range, the levels are the highest in 3 years across all test sites. Please read below for more information on how nitrogen has an effect on water quality and how it enters our lakes. We all have a responsibility to keep our lakes clean. Thank you. -Lake Health Committee

pH is an indication of our lake's acid level. Neutral water, like distilled water, has a 7 pH level. Any measurement below 7 is considered acidic. Low pH levels affect fish spawning to the point of extinction. For humans, low pH levels increase the concentration of heavy metals like aluminum, zinc, and mercury.

When there are high E. coli counts there are three indicators in a lake to consider rain, large presence of waterfowl, and many people. Rain produces ground water that runs into the lake and carries with it E. coli. Bird feces contribute disease causing bacteria to the water. And, beach areas with many people swimming tend to have higher levels of E. coli.

Dissolved Oxygen Oxygen (O2) is undoubtedly the most important of the gases, since most aquatic organisms need it to survive. The solubility of oxygen and other gases depends on water temperature. The colder the water, the more gases it can hold. Boiling water removes all gases. Oxygen is produced whenever green plants grow. Plants use carbon dioxide and water to produce simple sugars and oxygen, using sunlight as the energy source.

Phosphorus promotes excessive aquatic plant growth. Phosphorus originates from a variety of sources, many of which are related to human activities. Major sources include human and animal wastes, soil erosion, detergents, septic systems and runoff from farmlands or lawns.

The Total Suspended Solids numbers relate to water clarity, especially the amount of algae present.

Nitrogen is second only to phosphorus as an important nutrient for plant and algae growth. Precipitation is usually the main nitrogen source for seepage and some drainage lakes. In most cases, however, the amount of nitrogen in lake water corresponds to local land use. Nitrogen may come from fertilizer and animal wastes on agricultural lands, human waste from sewage treatment plants or septic systems, and lawn fertilizers used on lakeshore property. Nitrogen may enter a lake from surface runoff or groundwater sources.