KOSCIUSKO — The Lilly Center has studied 12 local all-sport lakes weekly throughout the last nine summers. Year-round for the past five years, they’ve studied the major streams surrounding six of these lakes. 

Total phosphorus content is one of the measurements the Lilly Center takes in both the lakes and the surrounding streams. It’s a nutrient that can cause unwanted weeds and algae to grow.

This table compares average phosphorus for local all-sport lakes; these measurements were taken over the last four summers by the Lilly Center’s research team. It shows average annual total phosphorus concentrations (in µg/L) for June-August samples taken at 1-meter depth in the deepest part of the lake. For reference, the EPA recommends a total phosphorus concentration of 10 µg/L or less for lakes in our region to protect recreational use and aquatic life!

With this information, the Lilly Center is can assess many aspects of lake health. To this point, they’ve studied boating impacts, starry stonewort, zebra mussels, economic impacts, watershed contributions, historical trends, blue-green algae toxins and changing water levels. With three trained aquatic scientists and many dedicated science students on staff, coupled with your investment, the continued expansion of the research expertise and equipment will help determine the most effective strategic actions for your lake.