10/10/2023
Something to think about in the coming week. It is still warm and sunny down south with water temperatures 16oC+ (I know October.. water temps above 16.. madness). Some of the lakes particularly in the South will still be experiencing algal blooms. The weather is set to change with rain in the forecast and overnight temperatures set to drop to a more normal 2-3oC. This could lead to a very dramatic fall in the water temps and the sudden die off of the algae. This along with the normal autumnal leaf fall will put a lot of dead organic material into the lake, a perfect soup for a bacterial bloom. These bacteria use the dissolved oxygen night and day and can have dramatic impacts on the Dissolved Oxygen in the lake. Deeper lakes may even have to also deal with autumn turnover where the cold, deoxygenated water at the bottom gets swept up into the surface waters. So there is a danger of sudden and catastrophic drops in Dissolved Oxygen in the next week. Keep a close eye and be prepared to add extra aeration.
