Water clarity – a measure of how “see-through” water is, which is influenced by factors like turbidity (cloudiness), algae abundance, and the presence of pollutants. The higher the number the better. It can be adversely affected by algae growth triggered by an excess of phosphorus in the water, or suspended dirt and silt triggered by boat traffic and runoff from the surrounding watershed caused by heavy rain.

Chlorophyll-a – the green pigment that plants and algae produce. It can be used as a proxy for the amount of algae growing in the water. A certain amount of algae is considered normal and beneficial to the lake ecosystem, but at high levels can be an indication of excessive and potentially harmful algae growth.

Phosphorus – an important element required by all life forms. In small amounts it helps support a healthy lake ecosystem, but in excessive amounts it can trigger harmful algae blooms.

Large man-made lakes like SML typically experience significant variation of these three measures from one section of the lake to another. The areas with the best clarity and lowest Chlorophyll-a and phosphorus are those which are farthest downstream. Small coves and areas which are furthest upstream tend to have lower clarity and higher Chlorophyll-a and phosphorus.