Strategy:
Improve the lake's water quality for health (our community), the environment (fish and birds), and aesthetics.
Anticipate any drop in quality and identify what resources (people and money) are required to mitigate the drop.
Build the local knowledge to effectively manage to these outcomes.
Lake Sherwood is generally clean and safe.
The latest E.coli and Fecal Coliform tests (June 2022) show very safe levels. We try to measure this during the middle of summer.
Algae growth is a main concern and has been the focus of study and action for quite some time.
Based on tests and analysis from the past 12 years, it seems the main cause of algae growth is phosphorus and nitrogen. These are common in fertilizers, and we hypothesize that water runoff from lawns (heavy in P & N) into the streets and then into the storm drains and water ditch is feeding the lake with nutrients for the algae to feed on.
Last year, a test using barley straw bales was done to determine if it would diminish the algae growth. The conclusion was that it did not help.
In 2023, the carp will be harvested and small fish will be introduced. This will decrease the stirring of the lake bottom and help rebalance the aquatic life. This is a change that can pay off in a few years to enhance water clarity.
LSW Water Quality Team, LSW Corporation Board, and Aqua Sierra Inc