Why is lakes important

Lakes are highly valued for their recreational, aesthetic, scenic, and water-supply qualities, and the water they contain is one of the most treasured of our natural resources. Lakes constitute important habitats and food resources for a diverse array of fish, aquatic life, and wildlife.

But lake ecosystems are fragile. Lake ecosystems can undergo rapid environmental changes, often leading to significant declines in their aesthetic, recreational, and aquatic ecosystem functions. Exposed to external effects from the atmosphere , their watersheds , and groundwater , lakes are subject to change through time. Human activities can further accelerate the rates of change. If the causes of the changes are known, however, human intervention lake-management practices sometimes can control, or even reverse, detrimental changes.

Urban lakes, like this one in Seattle, Washington, are highly valued by local residents. Where urban lakes exist, you'll find lots of walkers and joggers, people enjoying canoeing and swimming, picnickers, and, of course, lots of dogs and ducks. The water can sometimes be used for water supply for a city's needs , also. Urban lakes do have special needs, though. Water quality must be monitored constantly; it would not be good for the mayor of a town to become ill from swimming in polluted water.

The inflow of nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen from fertilizers, must be restricted in order to prevent the overgrowth of algae. And, where there is wildlife, such as ducks, around, there is the chance of bacteria problems. The following are some of the most important basic factors that give unique character to each lake ecosystem.

Lakes are subject to a variety of problems that can diminish their aesthetic beauty, recreational value, water quality, and habitat suitability. Among the most common lake problems is eutrophication , which is the process of physical, chemical, and biological changes "aging" associated with nutrient, organic matter, and silt enrichment of a lake.

Eutrophic conditions can be exhibited with the following conditions:. Activity icon made by Eucalyp from www. Lakes Awareness Month. Quality of the Nation's Lakes, Ponds and Reservoirs. Nonpoint Source Section homepage. Contact Us Water: Lakes. So with waterfront property, the supply is low. High demand plus low supply equals high cost. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Social studies How do lakes gain and lose water?

Social studies. Ben Davis July 14, How do lakes gain and lose water? How do lakes change over time? Which are the water resources on land? How do lakes help the environment? How do humans make use of lakes? What are the important of Lakes? What is the role of lakes in our life?

What are the benefits of lakes to human beings? Why lake is very important for tourism? What is lake and its importance? Why lakes are a source of livelihood? What is the importance of ponds and lakes?

How do humans use ponds? They serve as migration stop s and breeding ground s for many birds and as refuges for a wide variety of other animals. They provide homes for a diversity of organisms, from microscopic plants and animals to fish that may weigh hundreds of kilograms. The largest fish found in lakes is the sturgeon, which can grow to 6 meters 20 feet and weigh more than kilograms 1, pounds. Plants growing along the lakeshore may include moss es, fern s, reed s, rush es, and cattail s.

Small animals such as snails, shrimp, crayfish , worms, frogs, and dragonflies live among the plants and lay their eggs on them both above and below the waterline. Farther from the shore, floating plants such as water lilies and water hyacinth s often thrive. They have air-filled bladders, or sacs, that help keep them afloat. These plants shelter small fish that dart in and out under their leaves.

Waterbugs, beetles, and spiders glide and skitter across the surface or just below it. Small islands, floating plants, or fallen logs provide sunny spots for turtles to warm themselves. Other animals live near the lake, such as bats and semi-aquatic animals, such as mink , salamander s, beavers, and turtles.

Semi-aquatic animals need both water and land to survive, so both the lake and the shore are important to them. Many kinds of water birds live on lakes or gather there to breed and raise their young. Ducks are the most common lake birds.

Others include swans, geese, loons, kingfishers, herons, and bald eagles. Many people think of fish when they think of lakes. Some of the most common fish found in lakes are tiny shiners, sunfish, perch, bass, crappie, muskie, walleye, perch, lake trout, pike, eels, catfish, salmon, and sturgeon.

Many of these provide food for people. How People Use Lakes Lakes are an important part of the water cycle; they are where all the water in an area collects. Water filters down through the watershed , which is all the streams and rivers that flow into a specific lake.

Lakes are valuable resource s for people in a variety of ways. Through the centuries, lakes have provided routes for travel and trade.

The Great Lakes of North America, for example, are major inland route s for ships carrying grain and raw material s such as iron ore and coal. Farmer s use lake water to irrigate crop s.

The effect of very large lakes on climate also helps farmers. Because water does not heat or cool as rapidly as land does, winds blowing from lakes help keep the climate more even. Chicago sits on the shore of Lake Michigan. When the western part of Illinois is snowing, Chicago often remains slightly warmer. The lake effect can help farmers. In autumn, lakes blow warmer air over the land, helping the season last longer so farmers can continue to grow their crops. In spring, cool lake winds help plants not to grow too soon and avoid the danger of early-spring frost s, which can kill the young crops.

Lakes supply many communities with water. Artificial lakes are used to store water for times of drought. Lakes formed by dams also provide hydroelectric energy. The water is channeled from the lake to drive generator s that produce electricity.

Because they are often very beautiful, lakes are popular recreation and vacation spots. People seek out their sparkling waters to enjoy boating, swimming, water-skiing, fishing, sailing, and, in winter, ice skating, ice boating, and ice fishing.

Many public parks are built near lakes, allowing people to picnic, camp, hike, bike, and enjoy the wildlife and scenery the lake provides. For some people, lakes are permanent homes.

For example, indigenous people called the Uros have lived on Lake Titicaca in the Andes Mountains for centuries. The lake supplies almost everything the Uros need. They catch fish from the lake and hunt water birds. The islands are about 2 meters 6. On them, the Uros build reed houses and make reed sleeping mats, baskets, fishing boats, and sails.

They also eat the roots and the celery -like stalk s of the reeds. Lake Health: Blue-Green Algae Although lakes naturally age and die, people have sped up the process by polluting the water. A major problem that threatens many lakes is blue-green algae. It stays on the surface of the water and forms a sort of mat. When the conditions are just right, the algae multiplies quickly. This is called an algal bloom and is harmful to lakes, animals, plants, and people.

Blue-green algae is different from true algae because it is not eaten by other organisms. True algae is an important part of the food web because it supplies energy for tiny animals, which are then eaten by fish, which are then eaten by other fish, birds, animals, or people.

Blue-green algae, also called cyanobacteria , is not a part of the food web. It uses up important nutrients without contributing to the lake ecosystem. Instead, the algal bloom chokes up a lake and uses up the oxygen that fish and other living things depend on for survival. Plants die more quickly, sinking to the bottom and filling up the lake basin. Blue-green algae also can become so dense that it prevents light from penetrating the water, changing the chemistry and affecting species living below the surface.

When an algal bloom happens, water becomes contaminate d. The toxic water can kill animals and make humans sick. Blue-green algae is not a new problem. Scientists have found evidence of it from hundreds of years ago. The problem has increased, though, as humans pollute lakes. Eutrophication is when a lake gets too many nutrients, causing blue-green algae growth.

How do the excess nutrients get into lakes? Sewage from towns and cities causes explosive growth of blue-green algae, and waste from factories can wash into the lakes and pollute them.

Phosphorus-based fertilizer s from farms, golf courses, parks, and even neighborhood lawns can wash into lakes and pollute them. The phosphorus seeps into the ground and eventually reaches the lake. Phosphorus is an important nutrient for a lake, but too much of it is not a good thing because it encourages blue-green algae.

How can blue-green algae be prevented or reduce d? Preventing lawn clippings and leaves from washing into the gutter and maintaining a buffer of native plants help filter water and stop debris from washing away. Controlling phosphorous and chemicals from factories and farms is much more complicated. Citizens need to work with businesses and elected leaders to help reduce the amount of runoff and water pollution.

When that species harms the natural balance in an ecosystem, the species is called invasive. Invasive species can harm life in a lake by competing for the same resources that native species do. When introduced to new food sources, invasive species multiply quickly, crowding out the helpful native species until there are more invasive than native species. Invasive species can change the natural habitat of the lake and are known as biological pollutant s when this happens.

Once non-native species have been introduced into a lake, they are almost impossible to get rid of. How do invasive species invade in the first place? Non-native plants and animals are almost always introduced by people. As people use waterways more frequently, they may inadvertent ly move organisms from one area to another.

Plants such as Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive aquatic plant in the U. Small animals such as the spiny water flea can travel unnoticed by hopping onto a kayak or other recreational equipment. Species are also carried by large ships bringing goods from one country to another. These ships take in ballast water, which helps stabilize the ship as it crosses the ocean. When the ship reaches its destination , it releases the ballast water.

The water may be full of non-native species accidentally captured as the ship took on ballast.