{"id":1977,"date":"2016-12-28T17:03:59","date_gmt":"2016-12-28T23:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crescentlakewi.org\/?p=1977"},"modified":"2023-02-03T00:27:50","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T06:27:50","slug":"dont-p-in-the-lake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jazinda.org\/?p=1977","title":{"rendered":"• Don’t “P” in the Lake"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s \u201cP\u201d as in the chemical symbol for phosphorus, a nutrient that, in excessive amounts, can cause noxious algae blooms in lakes.
\nThe headline comes from the education campaign in the New Hampshire town that encourages people to help keep phosphorus out of the water. It\u2019s a good rule to follow on any lake.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the trouble with phosphorus? It accumulates over time, and too much of it can cause explosive growth of weeds and blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).<\/p>\n

Aquatic biologist Darby Nelson explains this brilliantly in his book, \u201cFor Love of Lakes.\u201d<\/em> He describes the ingredients in his wife\u2019s blueberry muffins and how, if has two teaspoons of baking powder (the limiting factor), she can only make one batch \u2013 no matter how much flour and sugar and how many eggs she may have.<\/p>\n

Then he notes that in lakes, phosphorus is the limiting factor: \u201cCompared to demand, it is phosphorus that is available in least supply\u2026 Little phosphorus in the water begets few cyanobacteria, algae and aquatic plants. Lots of phosphorus begets lots of blue-green algae, or aquatic plants, or both.\u201d<\/p>\n

The worst culprit here is the blue-green algae, which can reduce dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water. That leads to foul-smelling pileups on shore, produces toxins that kil fish and even makes people and pets sick. So, to keep \u201cP\u201d out of your lake, what can you do?<\/p>\n

Here are a few tips:<\/p>\n