Inversion Oxygenation and Bio augmentation Reduces Invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil Growth in

Four Michigan Inland Lakes

Jennifer L. Jermalowicz-JonesRestorative Lake Sciences

© Restorative Lake Sciences

Austin Lake, Kalamazoo County, MI

• Lake Volume = 4,408 acre-feet• Mean Depth = 4.0 feet• Max Depth = 14.0 feet• Mean Annual Runoff = 330

acre-feet• Mean Annual Pfizer Outputs =

350 acre-feet• Mean Annual Inlet Inputs =

724 acre-feet• Mean Annual Precip = 3,191

acre-feet• Mean Evaporative Losses =

2,600 acre-feet

Austin Lake South Basin System

• 27 micro-porous ceramic diffusers from Clean-Flo, Inc.®; Installed by Lake-Savers, Inc.

• 28,500 feet of self-sinking airline• Bacteria and enzyme treatments

which consist of 50 gallons of Lake Clear® bacteria for nitrogen reduction, 200 gallons of Clean and Clear ®Enzyme as a catalyst for muck reduction, and 200 lbs of Clean-Flo® bacteria for muck reduction.

• On-land components consist of 3 locally-sourced sheds (Lake-Savers®) and 5.4HP compressors along with cooling fans and ventilation.

16.5

5.9

3.9

00

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

July 2012 (Pre-Aeration)

July 2013 (Post-Aeration)

July 2014 (Post-Aeration)

July 2015 (Post-Aeration)

Perc

enta

ge o

f tot

al (n

=98)

sam

plin

g si

tes

Time

Austin Lake South Basin EWM Changes due to Aeration + Bio augmentation

Changes in Austin Lake South Basin Sediments before and after Inversion Oxygenation

Sediment

Sampling

Date

Sediment

OM

(%)

Sediment

NH3+

(mg/kg)

Sediment

Nitrate +

Nitrite

(mg/kg)

Nov 11, 2010

Nov 13, 2013

78.8±11.5

72.2±12.7

331±97

192±52**

37.5±59

3.5±0.1**

Means based on n = 24 sediment samples

Indian Lake, Cass County, MI

• Surface Area = 499 (acres)

• Maximum Depth = 28 (ft.)

• Immediate Watershed Area = 5,445 (acres)

• Shoreline Development Factor = 1.5

• Shoreline Length = 4.84 (miles)

• Fetch = 1.41 (miles)

87 85

2 10

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

June 2012 (Pre‐Aeration)

June 2013 (Post‐Aeration)

May 2014 (Post‐Aeration)

August 2015 (Post‐Aeration)

Freq

uency of sam

pling sites o

ut of 2

38

Time

Indian Lake EWM Changes due to Aeration + Bio augmentation

Changes in Indian Lake Sediments before and after Inversion Oxygenation

Sediment

Sampling

Date

Sediment

OM

(%)

Sediment

NH3+

(mg/kg)

Sediment

Nitrate +

Nitrite

(mg/kg)

June 15, 2014

August 11, 2015

58.7±7.2

41.0±5.5

98±7.6

13±4.9**

47±21

1.2±0.1**

Means based on n = 25 sediment samples

Indian Lake Bottom Hardness Changes

May 2014 (Pre-aeration) August 2015 (Post-aeration)

Parameter May2014

August 2015 Net Loss orGain

Total Sonar Points 16,766 16,765 NA

Very Soft Bottom (0-0.15) 0.04% 0.04% 0

Soft Bottom (.15 to .25) 25.5% 0.30% -25.2%

Medium Bottom (.25 to .35) 53.23%

66.32% +13.09%

Hard Bottom (.35 to .45) 12.19%

21.97% +9.78%

Very Hard Bottom (>.45) 6.37% 11.37% +5.0%

Changes in Sediment Composition

Paradise Lake, Emmet & Cheboygan Counties, MI

• Surface Area = 1,878 acre (acres); West Basin = 400 acres

• Maximum Depth = 15.1 (ft.)

• Shoreline Length = 14.3 (miles)

• Watershed: Lake = 8.9:1• One inlet and one outlet

Paradise Lake, September, 2009

Paradise Lake EWM Canopy (2009)

62

36

30 30

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

June 2012 (Pre-Aeration)

June 2013 (Post-Aeration)

August 2014 (Post-Aeration)

June 2015 (Post-Aeration)

Freq

uenc

y of

Sam

plin

g Si

tes

out o

f 220

Time

Paradise Lake EWM Changes due to Aeration + Bio augmentation

Changes in Paradise Lake Sediments before and after Inversion Oxygenation

Sediment

Sampling

Date

Sediment

OM

(%)

Sediment

NH3+

(mg/kg)

Sediment

Nitrate +

Nitrite

(mg/kg)

August 10, 2012

June 30, 2015

62.7±13.9

32.8±8.9

119±24.9

6.3±8.8**

29±12

2.7±0.9**

Means based on n = 12 sediment samples

Paradise Lake EWM Polygons

August 2014 (Post-aeration) June 2015 (Post-aeration)

Pickerel Lake, Kalamazoo County, MI

• Surface Area = 135 (acres)

• Maximum Depth = 10 (ft.)

• Shoreline Length = 2.44 (miles)

• Fetch = 0.7 (miles)

96

3224

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

October 2012 (Pre-Aeration)

June 2013 (Post-Aeration)

August 2015 (Post-Aeration)

Freq

uenc

y of

Sam

plin

g Si

tes

out o

f 120

Time

Pickerel Lake EWM Changes due to Aeration + Bio augmentation

Pickerel Lake Aquatic Vegetation Biovolume Changes

July 2014 (Pre-aeration) August 2015 (Post-aeration)

Pickerel Lake Bottom Hardness Changes

July 2014 (Pre-aeration) August 2015 (Post-aeration)

Conclusions

• Each of the 4 studied lakes showed significant reductions in EWM due to aeration + bio augmentation

• Two of the studied lakes with > 75% reduction in EWM had significant reduction in sediment ammonia, inorganic nitrogen, and % organic matter

• In Paradise Lake, the EWM polygons were “broken” up and there was a complete absence of a canopy since aeration began but acreage has declined from 100 acres in the West Basin to currently 58 acres

• This research suggests possible sediment nitrogen and organic nutrition mechanisms that occur from aeration + bio augmentation which appears to affect the nutrition of milfoil on certain sediment types.

Acknowledgements

• Paradise Lake Improvement Board• Austin Lake Governmental Lake Board• Indian Lake Improvement Association• Pickerel Lake Association• Clean-Flo, International, Inc.• Lake-Savers, Inc.• Nicholas Gressick• Grant Jones• Kevin Sylvester• Dr. Jon Bartholic, Michigan State University