Have you been wondering what that white stuff is on the lakeshore this time of year? Well, it's Filamentous Algae that has been bleached white by the sun as the water level dropped and the algae died off.
"Filamentous algae (and any plant material growing in the lake for that matter) reproduces and spreads based on the availability of nutrients and the physical characteristics of the water. Things like temperature, precipitation, sunlight, rainfall, and nutrient levels in the water can all impact populations of a particular plant, fish species, or any other organism. Some of our Pennsylvania rivers are seeing increases in populations of filamentous algae. In those cases it has been attributed to abnormal weather years. Like many of you, we've also noticed an increase in the presence of this algae and are keeping an eye on it. We can't provide any definitive answers on why it's increasing in presence, but we can assure you it's on our radar. In many cases, filamentous algae are a natural part of the ecosystem and provide food, habitat, and value to the aquatic community living there. We'll keep you posted in the future if we find out more about the algae in Lake Wallenpaupack." -Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District
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