Pea Soup Lake

If you have played the front nine recently, you have noticed that the lake that borders #6 and #7 looks a lot like pea soup. The cause of this green color is Planktonic Algae. Planktonic algae are single-celled plants or small colonies of cells that attach to each other and float freely in or on the surface of the water. Most planktonic algae are beneficial, because they convert nutrients into food for fish and other organisms, forming the base of the food chain. And, like all plants, they produce oxygen through photosynthesis.

However, excessive growth, like we are seeing now can be undesirable. This excessive growth is called a bloom. Blooms are caused by excessive nutrients being introduced to the aquatic system. During overseeding we had a wind storm that blew an excessive amount of grass clippings. Now that the grass clippings have had time to break down and release nutrients the algae is now consuming the nutrients. Fortunately, Planktonic Algae completes its life cyle in 24 hours. So, soon the Planktonic Algae will consume the excess nutrients in the lake and ecosystem will so return to a normal balanced state.