Restoration of eutrophic lakes

What causes the aging of lakes?

Lakes age naturally and this development takes place over a relatively long period of time. This phenomenon is called eutrophication, which is essentially the process of gradually enriching a lake with nutrients. This enrichment generally causes a thickening of the silt at the bottom of the lakes and the increased presence of algae and aquatic plants. The body of water changes as we notice:

• Greater accumulation of sediment and organic matter.
• A reduction in dissolved oxygen in water.
• The replacement of organisms by species better adapted to the new conditions.

The phenomenon of eutrophication can be accelerated by human activity. Premature aging of water bodies is one of the main problems affecting resort lakes and lakes located mainly in agricultural and urban areas.

The contribution of Bubble Tubing®

Without aeration, an aging body of water can stratify and become depleted of oxygen at the sediment level. Under anoxic conditions, the nutrients and dangerous heavy metals contained in the sediment are released into the water column and increase the load of available nutrients promoting the growth of plants and algae. In winter, these anoxic conditions often result in the death of fish since the gases released are trapped under the ice. With aeration, the body of water is de-stratified and oxygen becomes available to aerobic bacteria in the sediment, which then breaks down the organic matter further. Thus, nutrients are reduced, oxygen remains available to fish, invertebrates and microbes, which helps maintain balance in the system.
Winter aeration also acts as a deicing system and releases gases, such as H₂S, which can be trapped under the ice. With proper aeration, a phenomenon called biodragging occurs over time as organic sediment is consumed by oxygenated bacteria and the depth of the water returns to its inorganic layer.