Muck
Venture out into the lake and you will quickly notice the layer of thick, gooey muck just above the bottom of the lake. This layer of decaying organic matter is called Muck. Muck is an accumulation of organic matter that forms in aging lakes that do not have good oxygenation or moving water. Muck is a common problem in lakes and when not addressed will interfere with the health of the lake ecosystem and ruin a lake’s recreation potential.
As you know, Lake Gerry has a huge lily pad problem. Over the years, as these lily pads and other aquatic plants die off, they sink to the bottom of the lake where they begin to decompose. As this material decomposes it is kills of good aerobic bacteria and gives of a noxious gas called Hydrogen Sulfide. Hydrogen Sulfide is what is also known as a sewer, sewage or swamp gas and smells like rotten eggs. In large quantities, Hydrogen Sulfide is toxic.
When left unaddressed, lake muck will eventually ruin the value of a lake by making it un-navigable, un-swimmable, and un-fishable. This natural process, without intervention, will ultimately turn the lake into a marsh then into a meadow then into a forest.
There are multiple ways to address and maintain the muck levels in ponds and lakes; unfortunately, none of them are easy, or cheap without proper lake management.
In the summer of 2019, the Lake Gerry Association began working with SOLitude Lake Management company to form a strategic plan to restore Lake Gerry to a robust and healthy lake. A multi-step plan was presented to the association’s board and several presentations were made to the Lake Gerry Association. During the summer of 2020, the Lake Gerry Association began the implementation of our lake restoration plan with the initial treatment of the lily pads on the surface of the lake. This topical herbicide treatment is designed to kill the root or rhizome of the lily pad. As many are you are aware, the rhizome of the Lily pad is that 3 to 8 inch thick, and 5 to 15 foot long root that the lily pads shoot off of. They’re miserable. – The herbicide applied to the lake, takes several weeks to reach the root system and kill the plant. If you ventured out onto the water a few weeks after the treatment, you would have noticed the lily pads turning yellow and brown then dying in large swaths. With this type of herbicide, it takes a season to see the complete results which we are starting to notice in the lake now. The down side of treating the lily pads in this manner, is when they die, they fall to the bottom of the lake and contribute to the Muck problem. Therefore it is of utmost importance that we begin addressing the Muck layer in the lake.
Over the years, there have been several different attempts at addressing the muck, without addressing the root cause of the muck. (the lily pads and plant matter) Each attempt, while valiant, did little to mitigate the muck in the lake.
During the summer of 2021, SOLitude Lake Management will be performing another lily pad treatment at a point when the herbicide will have peak efficacy. Unlike last year, when we learned exactly how severe and limiting our muck situation is, an airboat will be used, which will allow the herbicide to be applied in parts of the lake where the muck is several feet thick and the water is only a few inches deep. This second herbicide treatment should kill off another large portion of lily pads thus making it easier to navigate and swim in the lake. Please note, that not all the lily pads will be removed from the lake, and in the future we will likely need to manage them better than we have in the past.
After this second lily pad treatment, it will become even more important for us to address the muck problem.
As mentioned, there are several ways of addressing muck in the lake. The best, and consequently, the most expensive is a process called Hydro-raking. This is the gold-standard of muck removal and involves essentially a floating excavator that scoops up the muck and transports it to a container to be hauled away. Another highly effective and significantly expensive method to remove muck is called Dredging – which uses a large pump and vacuum hose to suck up the muck and move it to another location nearby (like a field). Each of these is a huge investment and to perform such, we would have to do some major fund raising.
More affordably, there are products available the utilize beneficial bacteria, enzymes and minerals that help speed up the decomposition of the muck. These pellets are often called Muck Digesters and are applied several times throughout the summer to the areas of muck. Over the weeks, they begin to break down inches of muck at a time. Again, this is a process, and not something that will have immediate results, but something that each season you will see improvement in our lake.
As with all things, muck digesters have limitations and depending on the recommendations from SOLitude Lake Management, we may need to add aeration devices to the lake to help remove and maintain low muck levels in the years to come. These aeration devices are exactly that: the cause bubbles and water movement that helps disrupted the layers of muck and introduce oxygen and beneficial bacteria to the muck layers. This will help facilitate and enhance the breakdown of the muck.
Lastly, we will need everyone to help do their part to clean up and improve Lake Gerry so it will continue to provide years of enjoyment for our families, friends and neighbors. Please consider donations or help with fund raising for the Lake Preservation Fund. No amount is too large or small and every dollar helps and bring us closer to a healthier lake. Can’t donate monetarily? Please help donate time or energy with other projects around the lake. Every little bit is appreciated.