A Successful Alum/Aluminate Treatment of Lake Morey, Vermont

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lake Morey, Vermont provides a case history of a successful lake restoration effort. Decades of algal blooms and a major summer fish kill preceded a hypolimnetic alum and sodium aluminate treatment in 1986. Earlier diagnostic studies with paleolimnological analyses and a detailed phosphorus budget revealed the cause to be internal phosphorus loading from anoxic hypolimnetic sediments. The aluminum treatment of these sediments resulted in sharp declines in total phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations, and increased Secchi transparency. The dose rate of 44 g Al/m2 appears to have been sufficient to form an effective barrier to sediment phosphorus release, and improved conditions continue to persist after four years. Elevated dissolved aluminum levels and some possible adverse effects on the benthic invertebrates and the yellow perch population were temporarily observed following the treatment. The apparent success of the project in controlling phosphorus concentrations is the result of an accu...