The North Idaho panhandle is home to Fernan Lake Village, a small lakeside community directly outside of the City of Coeur d'Alene. Fernan Lake serves the village and the surrounding area as a hub for fishing as well as swimming, boating, and waterskiing. Although Fernan Lake is relatively small, it is the most fished lake per unit area in Idaho and is an important part of the local ecosystem and culture.
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has been recording reports of nuisance blooms of algae on Fernan Lake since 2007. The algae blooms have become so detrimental to the lake and its users, the state of Idaho has listed it as an impaired body of water. Since 2011 postings have been put in place warning the public to avoid human contact with the lake water for several months out of the year. …show more content…
The problem is compounded by the inability of conventional water treatment methods to remove the toxins from the lake.
Several factors have contributed to the complex problem facing Fernan Lake. Key among them is the impact of cultural eutrophication, which is the abundance of excess nutrients in waters that lead to excessive algal growth thus decreasing water quality as a result of human activities. Road construction, stream restoration, and agricultural activities have led to large amounts of phosphorus being added to the lake. This lowers the ratio of oxygen and nirtogen to phosphorus and provides cyanobacteria with an environment that they are uniquely adapted to thrive
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality has been recording reports of nuisance blooms of algae on Fernan Lake since 2007. The algae blooms have become so detrimental to the lake and its users, the state of Idaho has listed it as an impaired body of water. Since 2011 postings have been put in place warning the public to avoid human contact with the lake water for several months out of the year. …show more content…
The problem is compounded by the inability of conventional water treatment methods to remove the toxins from the lake.
Several factors have contributed to the complex problem facing Fernan Lake. Key among them is the impact of cultural eutrophication, which is the abundance of excess nutrients in waters that lead to excessive algal growth thus decreasing water quality as a result of human activities. Road construction, stream restoration, and agricultural activities have led to large amounts of phosphorus being added to the lake. This lowers the ratio of oxygen and nirtogen to phosphorus and provides cyanobacteria with an environment that they are uniquely adapted to thrive