Summary
Climate change has the potential to be one of the next major issues to influence the future of water quality and amenity values of our lakes. Climate change has the potential to influence a whole range of factors, some of these will include:
- The warming of lake waters
- Increased rates of eutrophication
- Greater potential for blue green algae blooms
- More depletion of oxygen in the bottom waters for both our deeper and shallow lakes.
- Higher precipitation and elevated lake levels
- Shoreline erosion and movement of sediments into the lakes
- Change in hydraulic loadings and flows
- Greater sediment runoff into lakes and the potential to carry phosphorus
- Greater risks of invasive pest species (both plants and fish)
- Potential impact of drought on wetland areas
Increasingly, the Society will be considering these effects in its submissions and actions and supporting research into this area.