Lake ecosystems

Human acceleration of eutrophication through continued watershed and lakeshore development, combined with changes in temperature and climate, increasingly challenges managers to meet human needs while protecting aquatic resources. While annual winter water level drawdowns (WDs) are commonly used to reduce nuisance macrophyte biomass, the future utility and impacts to ecosystems under climate change remains uncertain. Moreover, the timing and magnitude of drawdowns, which are affected by climate, influences the negative impacts of drawdowns on lake water quality and food webs. Using remote sensing data, validated with on-the-ground water level and cyanobacteria data, we will characterize water level fluctuations and cyanobacteria blooms in WD lakes coupled to novel hydrologic models that assess sensitivity of these lakes to future climate and precipitation. The results from this research, which will be shared in scientific publications, will help evaluate WDs as a macrophyte management tool under future climate change and weigh any remaining benefits with the ecological and socioeconomic costs of performing WDs. This research is a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of Massachusetts Amherst, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and seven state agencies, who will provide in-kind support for collection of field data and translate results into guidance for lake managers.