What determines the color of a lake?

Dissolved organic matter, such as humus, peat or decaying plant matter, can produce a yellow or brown color. Some algae or dinoflagellates produce reddish or deep yellow waters. Water rich in phytoplankton and other algae usually appears green. Soil runoff produces a variety of yellow, red, brown and gray colors.



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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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Blue water lakes contain low concentrations of algae and other substances, resulting in high clarity and a deep blue color. Water molecules absorb longer, visible wavelengths (e.g. red light, 600-700 nm) while shorter, blue wavelengths (< 500 nm) pass deeper into the water column.

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Blue and turquoise lakes It's due to the tiny glacier particles, which sink only slowly to the bottom. The purity of the lake's waters allow these particles to come into their own. The colours are particularly beautiful in spring, when the glaciers begin to melt.

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The Geology of Crater Lake Crater Lake is famous for its deep blue color. The water gets its color from the way sunlight reflects off of the particles in the water. These particles are very small, so they scatter the sunlight in all directions, making the water look blue. The water in Crater Lake is also very clear.

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It is common to see dyed water in public and recreational establishments, such as golf courses, recreation parks, ornamental ponds and decorative fountains. Aquatic dyes add blue or blue-green color to the water to reduce sunlight penetration.

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Why is Blue Lake so clean? Scientists attribute the lake water's clarity to its passage underground from Lake Constance, which filters out nearly all the particles suspended in the water. Its clarity reveals water's natural blue-violet colour.

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But the culprit for the beautiful blue is the limestone! Limestone is composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and is white in color. As the river breaks down this rock into tiny crystals, these crystals will get mixed up into the water.

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