Lake nutrification is a natural process during which a body of water has nutrients build up within it over time. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and other necessary chemicals to a healthy ecosystem increase to the point that the algae and other plants become dominant, to the detriment of the current major species (such as fish or people who enjoy clearer waters). It’s not evil nor bad, just a part of Creation that is inevitable and signals a different phase of life for a body of water. However, this process in the Midwest today is often accelerated by human actions. Fertilizer runoff from farm fields expedite nutrification beyond the natural cycle (though farmers are not to blame and just as stuck in our human systems as the rest of us) and lawns instead of native prairies don’t hold their soil or store nutrients. Here at Walter Scott, we lower our lake twice each winter by a few feet, to cycle out the excess nutrient buildup. As we empty roughly a couple million gallons of water towards the Gulf to keep our lake a bit healthier, we know we aren’t fixing the issue by creating a deadzone where our water joins those of the ocean. Instead, we acknowledge that we are powerless alone to deal with some of the largest problems we face; instead we have to build community with our neighbors near and far and advocate for a world that enables all Creation to best care for one another. Ultimately, the water in our lakes is no different than the water in us; our connection is molecular and sacred.
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