What color are lakes supposed to be?

Clear lakes with low algae and other organic material are often blue in color (left), while lakes that have high nutrients and algae are green in color (center) and lakes that heavily forested watersheds, wetlands, or bogs around them may appear brown in color (right).



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There are some simple ways to evaluate the health of your lake without testing equipment. Water clarity is a great example. Measuring how far down into the water you can see a black and white secchi disk can give you a great index of water clarity. Plants you find in the lake can also give you an indication of health.

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This MODIS image of blue water in the Caribbean Sea looks blue because the sunlight is scattered by the water molecules. Near the Bahama Islands, the lighter aqua colors are shallow water where the sunlight is reflecting off of the sand and reefs near the surface.

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Planktonic algae often cause a murky water appearance. These tiny organisms can create large blooms on the water, covering the surface and giving your pond or lake a cloudy appearance. It can also make water smelly.

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The blue in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is sediment brought to the surface when strong winds churned the lakes. The green in Lake Erie and in Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay is algae, which builds on the surface when winds are calm.

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The Weddell Sea has been claimed by scientists to have the clearest waters of any ocean in the world. Described by a historian as “the most wretched and dismal region on earth”, due to the flash freezes that caught Shackleton's ship, its clarity is only belied by the sheer depth of the ocean below.

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And if you are wondering why the water is so blue, here's the explanation from Chief Meteorologist Chris Justus:Hot weather with relatively calm winds in the atmosphere and no tropical systems in the Atlantic have allowed sediments in the water to settle to the ocean floor. Less sediment means clearer water!

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Look for signs of poor water quality, such as algal blooms and dirty or turbid water. Do not swim in water that smells like rotten eggs or sewage. Avoid swimming near pipes that drain into lakes or streams.

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