Members of The Lake Waramaug Task Force have been busy testing the water quality of Lake Waramaug and ensuring the lake is safe for recreation. The Task Force works to keep the lake safe for swimmers and boaters by monitoring the levels of cyanobacteria (algae) that thrives in warm, slow-moving nutrient rich waters—often in lakes with water-front yards treated with fertilizers. If left-unchecked the bacteria can make humans and dogs sick with flu-like symptoms. Long-term exposure can cause neurological problems.
Sean Hayden and Peary Stafford of the Lake Waramaug Task Force monitor lake water
A recent grant from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, enabled the Task Force to purchase equipment to monitor cyanobacteria densities and the algae-eating zooplankton that help keep the lake healthy.
"This equipment is essential to improving our ability to protect the lake as an important regional natural resource," said Sean Hayden of the Lake Waramaug Task Force.
The Task Force operates an in-lake restoration system that restores the natural balance of the lake's ecosystem by removing and isolating harmful nutrients.