The Importance of an Aquatic Management Plan

If you have a lake on a property you own, you may want to consider hiring someone to create an aquatic management plan for you. It turns out there’s quite a lot involved with managing and maintaining a lake, and if you don’t take proper care of it several problems can ensue.

Weed Management

Weed control for lakes is incredibly important. Similar to the importance of weeding in your garden, weeding in your lake will help minimize the presence of unwanted plants. Too many plants in your lake can lead to low aeration and oxygen levels, which can have a negative impact on overall water quality and can be life threatening for any wildlife that live in or near your lake. An aquatic management plan should be able to identify what plants you currently have in your lake, which ones you want to keep and which ones you want to get rid of.

Water Quality

You will most likely want to know what kind of water quality you have in your lake, especially if any recreational activities occur in your lake. An annual water analysis test is a great idea to determine the general health and safety of your water. Make sure this test includes a fecal coliform bacteria test. You will also want to assess what kind of water flow you have, and whether or not you need to install a fountain or filter.

Use of Herbicides

Part of an aquatic management plan should review the use of any and all herbicides to improve the quality of your lake, and also serve to assure you that any materials used in your lake are safe and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Once you get an initial aquatic management plan you may not need to have one done every year, but it’s important to follow the recommended guidelines if you want to ensure the health and safety of your water for as long as possible.

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