Ever wonder why in the fall, some lakes can seem very dirty with a lot of natural particles moving around in the system?  Or how about that odor?  Geesh, it’s rank!  Well this is because of Lake Turnover the general term for Stratifying.  The easiest way to say this is that water warms throughout the summer season, well not all of it.  The top layer of water is resting on a much cooler layer of water.  When temperatures change and the sun doesn’t keep the lake warm on that top level this allows the density of the layers to stabilize and the lake begins a natural mixing process.  This introduces fresh oxygen to the lower part of the lake and brings up organic material from the bottom of the lake.  This natural process is great for the ecosystem of the lake and even better for the fish that live there.  

The following article, describes in much more detail this process.  The article comes to us from The Clean Lakes Alliance of the Yahara Watershed in Wisconsin.  Check that article out HERE!  written by Paul Dearlove, Deputy Director of The Clean Lakes Alliance.