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April,
1998
Editor: Wallace E. Fusilier, Ph.D., Consulting Limnologist
World Headquarters: 9200 Dexter Chelsea Road, Dexter, Michigan 48130
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The information contained in this newsletter represents my observations and opinions. I always urge you to check things out. I take full credit for all mistakes. Permission is hereby given to lake associations to copy the information or this newsletter for distribution to their members, although we would like credit for it. Above all, we eschew obfuscation.
IF YOUR BOAT GETS CAUGHT IN A FISH NET WHILE BOATING
½ Immediately put the boat motor in neutral and turn off the engine.
½ Have everyone on board put on a life jacket.
½ Use your distress signal.
½ Contact the U.S. Coast Guard for a commercial salvage company for assistance.
The above information came from Lakeland Boating (April '98) and is probably aimed at Great Lakes boaters rather than boaters on inland lakes. However from time to time nets are used in inland lakes for fish studies.
WHY DO I PUT ALL KINDS OF ARTICLES IN THIS NEWSLETTER?
I was surprised when I got more comments than I usually do about my article on boat trailer electrical wiring. One person thought I ran out of things to write about. Another offered a suggestion.
Many times I put articles in here so they're documented. In the case of boat trailer lights, most folks living on lakes wouldn't find that very useful because they don't trailer their boats very often. On the other hand, another limnologist (this newsletter goes to several), or someone planning to be a limnologist, and trying to keep the lights on the boat trailer in working condition would find this useful, especially if he or she tried all the standard methods of installing boat trailer wiring and lighting, and had the same experience I did. They didn't work well.
The same with the article about outfitting a boat for sampling lakes. Dr. Bill Weiss, a limnologist in the northern part of the state said he appreciated my comments, and was fully aware of the problems I addressed.
Sometimes I publish things so I can keep track of them. Since I keep a copy of every issue, I know that information will always be available. I did the same thing with a computer newsletter I wrote for over seven years, and folks are still using that as a reference.
Other times I publish things because they're fun to read. And as you might have noticed, Politically Correctness is not one of my strong points.
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WE'RE BACK TO HAVING JUST FIVE GREAT LAKES
reported the March 25, Ann Arbor News.
Seems Vermont's Senator Patrick Leahy was willing to accept the de-designation if Vermont colleges were allowed to compete for federal fisheries research funds to study Lake Champlain.
That's a disappointment. Instead of de-designating Lake Champlain, I was going to suggest that Dr. Cliff Humphrys and I designate all inland lakes in Michigan as "great lakes" (with a small "g") because that's what I think they are. Seems to me if Congress can do it, so can anyone else.
WHEN DID I LEARN THESE THINGS? (Nancy Burkhalter found this on the internet, author unknown)
½ At age 7 I learned you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
½ At 8 I learned I didn't like turnips, rutabagas or mushrooms.
½ At 9 I learned if you wave to people in the country, they wave back.
½ At 12 I learned it's dumb to work in the rain if it's not necessary.
½ At 13 I learned just when I got my room the way I wanted it, mom made me clean it.
½ At 14 I learned if I want to cheer myself up, I should try to cheer someone else up.
½ At 22 I learned prime rib and mushrooms taste great.
½ At 24 I learned silent company is often more healing than words.
½ At 29 I learned no matter where I go, the world's worst drivers will follow me.
½ At 36 I learned no matter how hard I try, sometimes things will go wrong.
½ At 39 I learned if someone says something unkind or untrue about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
½ At 46 I learned the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others.
½ At 48 I learned I usually learn more when I listen than when I talk.
½ At 52 I learned I can tell a lot about people by the way they handle three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
½ At 58 I learned making a living is not the same as making a life.
½ At 65 I learned if I pursue happiness, it will elude me. But if I focus on my friends, the needs of others, my work, meeting new people and doing the very best I can, happiness will find me.
½ At 66 I learned whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.
½ At 82 I learned even if I have pains, I don't have to be one.
½ At 85 I learned I should reach out and touch someone. People love the human touch--holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. (Ed, note: Our president not only seems to have learned this one at an early age, and well. He also carries it further.)
½ At 92 I learned I still have a lot to learn.
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STOP! CEASE! DESIST!
"IT HAS COME TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above reference piece of property. A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity": read an official communication from the DEQ to a Montcalm County beaver, according to an article on the front page of the April 1st, '98 Ann Arbor News.
Yes. That's right. A beaver.
I've often felt folks tried to control nature too much, and this only reinforces my impression. Seems a beaver (since the DEQ has already given him near human-like qualities, I'll call him Bill) constructed a dam that created Spring Pond near Stanton. (I checked to see if this was an April fool's joke, but newsroom people said they didn't put April fool's jokes on the front page of the newspaper.)
A local property owner spoke for Bill when he wrote the DEQ asking if they were discriminating against the dams constructed by the Spring Pond beavers, or if all dam beavers through out the state had to conform to the same dam request.
In the March 30, '98 Wall Street Journal, the editors suggested the DEQ was worthy of an "Award for Environmental Lunacy".
A DEQ public information official acknowledged the notice had indeed been sent, and that it was in response to a complaint filed by a neighbor who was concerned about flooding caused by the dams. He said the department dropped the investigation after an inspection by a DEQ employee.
The same official said, in a classic understatement: "It probably would have been a good idea to do the inspection before we sent the notice."
LETTERS
April 7, 1998
THANKS SO MUCH for sending me the water stats for Pleasant Lake. It's nice to have that information in our files. I also passed it along to a neighbor who is interested in our lake's health.
I also enjoyed your WATER NEWSLETTER. Is there a yearly fee for receiving it, and if so, how much is it? I'll ask our board if they are interested in receiving it. Most of the information is too technical to use in our association newsletter.
Enclosed is a complementary copy of the history we put together on Pleasant Lake.
Gina Gregory, Pleasant Lake, Oakland County.
(Ed. note. There's no cost for the newsletter. We send it to folks who we think will find
the information useful and interesting.
And you did a great job on the history. Every lake should have one like it. I do have a comment though. It would be useful to have a map of the lake, and the roads around the lake. Perhaps someone who lives at the lake wouldn't need it, but someone like me does.
I suspect there is more information available at the county drain commissioners office, the DNR's Institute for Fisheries Research in Ann Arbor and the Bentley Historical Library, to name a few.
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Fred Henshaw in his 1931 Michigan Lakes and Streams Directory reported the following:
"PLEASANT LAKE, West Bloomfield Township. Near U>S> 10 south east of Commerce. 80 acres. A road touches lake. Slight resort development, boat livery, good swimming, sand beach, sparse woods, flat land, lake much frequented. Large- and small-mouth bass, bluegills, perch.")
April 9, 1998
BY NOW I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE of the tragic accident we had here last Saturday. Two young men from Ohio capsized their canoe and plunged into the 46 degree water about 200 feet from shore. It happened right in front of our place, and for two days our home became the center of the rescue and recovery operation. In that first crucial hour, rescue boats were on the scene within 4 minutes and a medical helicopter was dispatched from the University of Michigan. We set up tables on the beach in preparation for the sheriff's dive team which was on the way. I asked Cee to get the three dimensional model of our lake you made when you first studied it back in 1992. When the first divers arrived, it was invaluable because they knew exactly what to expect. They planned the complete search operation around it, calling separate meetings as new dive teams arrived. There were over a hundred police, fire and rescue personnel here that weekend, and everyone thought the model helped a lot with their efforts.
Dan Doyle, Lake Somerset, Hillsdale County
(Ed. note. Having a map of the lake is one of the most important things a lake association can get. If a drowning occurs in a lake, it is very useful if a map is available for divers to use. They're sort of like limnologists, in that the only thing they know about a lake if they've never been there before is it has water in it, and it's flat on top. They have absolutely no idea how deep the lake is or where the deep holes are. A map provides that information easily and quickly. And the 3-D model is even better because it shows the depths.
Plus the map I made of your lake is probably the most accurate lake map in the state, the reason being I was able to find an engineering survey of the valley made before the water level was raised, showing the contours of the valley at two foot intervals. I used that to make the map of the lake. That's why the old railroad grade, some of the old road beds, plus a variety of other features show on the map.)
February 17, 1998
PLEASE KEEP ME ON THE MAILING LIST for the one and only WATER NEWSLETTER. I really enjoy your writing style as well as your pragmatic approach to problems, politics, &c. Would you be kind enough to add a riparian friend to your mailing list. She's past president of her association, and past president of the local governmental unit. She's still on the board, and is actively involved in lake affairs. Her lake has a unique set of problems which deserve attention.
I don't know when I'll see you again, but in the mean time many of us in the Lake Fenton area appreciate the study you conducted of our lakes. We place your professionalism at the top of our list.
Next time you're dealing with some incompetent and totally self-serving politicians, just remember-- the sun doesn't shine on all dogs the same day. It helps me get through things like the oval office kneepad escapades.
Dave Prout, Squaw Lake, Genesee County
(Ed. note. Thanks for the good words. We've added your friend to our mailing list.)
DEEP THOUGHTS
½ If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay people to do it?
½ If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
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MORE INFORMATION ON ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER
Dr. Nikolaos Nikolaidis, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Connecticut created a filter that converts almost all the arsenic in drinking water to an insoluble compounds, reported the April 2, 1998 Ann Arbor News.
"Arsenic poisoning is one of the worst public health problems in the world," Nikolaidis said, "especially in countries like Bangladesh where the soil is naturally high in arsenic compounds and where people drink much more water than in temperate areas. ... The World Health Organization's drinking water safety limit for arsenic is 10 micrograms per liter (or 10 parts per billion), but in countries like Bangladesh and neighboring Bengal, water from wells contains as much as 300 to 4000 micrograms of arsenic per liter."
The article described the filter as a tube filled with a mixture of sand and iron filings, designed to fit a well outlet. In the presence of barium sulfate, the iron reacts with arsenic to form an insoluble compound containing arsenic, iron and sulfur which is then trapped in the filter.
Nikolaidis says the principal ingredients in the filter are cheap. A ton of iron filings in the U.S. costs about $350 and ton of sand is only about $10.
I called Dr. Nikolaidis, and we talked for some time. I asked if he had a drawing of his filter I could publish. He said he still had a couple of things to work out. He knew a lot about arsenic. He said the EPA safe drinking water limit for arsenic was 50 parts per billion, but at that concentration EPA estimated a person drinking the water would have a 1 in 100 chance of getting cancer from the arsenic.
He also said a real concern is people living near Civil War cemeteries. The reason was the Civil War generals wanted the bodies of soldiers shipped home to be well preserved so they preserved them with three to 12 pounds of arsenic. He said those bodies were very well preserved, and still are to this day.
Dr. Nikolaidis said there was more information about arsenic in drinking water and on his filter on his web site. The address is www.eng2.uconn.edu/cee/bio/Nikolaidis.html, then look for his name under FACULTY, and then look under RESEARCH.
I also spoke with John Mitchell, a local undertaker, and history buff. He said around the time of the Civil War, and until the early part of the 20th century, arsenic, along with bichloride of mercury, dissolved in wood alcohol (methanol) was used to embalm bodies. And in those days, the caskets were wood, which not only decomposed, but also allowed water to move freely around the embalmed body. This could easily leach the embalming materials into the groundwater, contaminating it.
I'm always pleased when someone with the training, knowledge and experience of Dr. Nikolaidis, develops a cheap, effective method of solving an environmental problem. I think this is the type of person who should be employed by our universities. However that's not what university administrators want.
They want their big salaries (usually they're among the highest paid people at most universities), and one of the ways they get them is to hire professors who get large research grants, because in almost every grant is something called "administrative overhead." And many times the "administrative overhead" is large, 30% or more of the grant. That money is used to pay administrator's salaries.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE COMMERCIALS
where a bright red Jeep Wagoneer drives through the snow and by a dark green sign with gold lettering that says: HELL, MICHIGAN. Population 352?
Well what you're seeing is not Hell. It's Aspen, Colorado. Hell was never like that. Hell is not far from our lab. And we've been studying Hiland Lake in Hell for a number of years. So as you can see, from time to time we do go to Hell.
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Lake Name Wall Lake
County Barry
U.S.G.S. Map Cloverdale
Type of lake Natural
River basin Grand
Lake area (acres) 571
Maximum depth (feet) 36
Mean depth (feet) 12.3
Lake volume (acre feet) 7051
Shoreline length (feet) 26437
Watershed area (acres) 1565
Drainage area (acres) 2136
Watershed to lake ratio 2.74
Flushing rate 3.81 years
Elevation Unknown
Longest dimension (feet) 7711
Ice out date Unknown
Date lake mixed Unknown
Spring 1998 LWQI Unknown
Summer 1998 LWQI Unknown
Bottom Sediments, % mineral Unknown
Latitude 42° 31.359N
Longitude 85° 23.433W
Official lake monitor Jack Slocum
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½ A problem some folks seem to have is they're half through life before they realize its a "do it yourself" thing.
SOME INFORMATION ON USING HYPSOGRAPHIC GRAPHS
Marcia Baer (Cliff Humphrys writes it "Bare") editor of Focus 10,000, Minnesota's lake side magazine, asked how hypsographic graphs are used when working on lakes.
A hypsographic graph is a graph that relates the depth of the lake to its area. When we work on a lake, if we have a bottom contour map, we'll create a hypsographic graph for it. The reason we can do this easily is our computer not only tells us the area of the surface of the lake, it also tells us the area of each depth contour, such as the five foot contour, the ten foot contour, etc. Once we have that data, we can create the graph. The graph for Wall Lake in Barry County, this month's centerfold lake, is shown below. Accompanying each graph is a table which shows the area of each contour. This is the data the computer puts together for us. Also shown in the table is the volume of water between each two contours, in acre feet. The lake volume, which is simply the sum of the water volumes of all the various contours, is at the bottom of the table. (One of the uses of knowing the water volume is to determine the MEAN DEPTH, which is the WATER VOLUME divided by the SURFACE AREA. Both numbers are found in the table.)
At the bottom of the graph you'll note the area of the lake. Since the graph shows the percentage of the area of the lake at various depths, the LAKE AREA noted at the bottom is important.
So, how is a graph and table like this used. Actually it's a tool which helps in making lake management decisions.
HOW MUCH OF THE LAKE IS DEEPER THAN FIVE FEET?
For example, when considering putting a public launch site on a lake, if the DNR decides all water less than 5 feet deep is not considered boatable (as Cliff Humphrys maintains), the area of the lake five feet deep or more can be determined by reading that number off the table. In the case of 571 acre Wall Lake, the boatable area would be 452 acres. Some have suggested the DNR uses a figure of 15 acres per launch site parking space. That would be 30 parking spaces for Wall Lake.
HOW MUCH OF THE LAKE IS CONSIDERED LITTORAL?
The DNR considers water 12 feet deep or less to be the littoral zone of a lake, which is the most productive in terms of plant and animal life. That area can be determined using the graph. The graph shows about 52 percent of the lake is 12 feet deep or less, and 52% of 571 is 297 acres.
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HOW MUCH SONAR SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LAKE TO REACH A CONCENTRATION OF FIVE PARTS PER BILLION?
If the DNR wants to know how much of the herbicide SONAR to put in the lake, they make the assumption that the SONAR added will stay in the water above the thermocline. If we've visited the lake in late summer, we'll document the presence of a thermocline (if it exists) and show it on a graph. (A thermocline is a layer of water that forms in a lake in summer (and to a lesser extent in winter) where the temperature changes more than 1°C per meter of depth).
The thermocline pretty effectively isolates the water in the top of the lake from the water in the thermocline, and the water below the thermocline, hence the DNRs assumption that the herbicide will remain in the water above the thermocline is probably reasonable.
To determine the amount of water above the thermocline, the first piece of data needed is the depth of top of the thermocline. Since we've not visited Wall Lake, we don't know where the top of the thermocline is, but lets assume it's 18 feet below the surface. How can the amount of water is in the layer of water above the thermocline be determined? Using the table and the graph, it's a fairly simple matter.
The table shows us the amount of water in the 0-5 foot layer is 2558 acre feet, the amount of water in the 5-10 foot layer is 1902 acre feet, and the amount of water in the 10-15 foot layer is 1332 acre feet.
From the hypsographic graph we can see that about 33 percent of the lake is 18 feet deep. Multiplying the 33% times the area of the lake (571 acres) tells us the area of the 18 foot contour is 188 acres. The table tells us the area of the 15 foot contour is 224 acres. Finding the volume of the 15-17 foot layer just involves adding these two numbers together (188 + 224 = 412), then dividing by 2 (to get the average area), and then multiplying by three (the thickness of the 15 to 18 foot layer). Hence the volume of the 15-17 foot layer is 618 acre feet.
Adding all the volumes (2558, 1902, 1332 and 618) together gives the volume of water above the thermocline, 6418 acre feet.
Since the DNR is allowing SONAR to be used at five parts per billion, it's necessary to convert the 6418 acre feet to a more usable number. It could be pounds, or gallons, or cubic feet. I'll use pounds for illustration purposes.
To convert acre-feet to billions of pounds, multiply the number of cubic feet times 43560, then times 62.4 and divide by one billion. In fact, if you just want to use a factor to convert acre feet to pounds, that factor is .00271844.
Here's how things are calculated. (43560 X 62.4)/1,000,000,000 = .00271844 X 6418 acre feet = 17.45 billion pounds.
To determine the number of pounds of SONAR needed to added to the lake to achieve a concentration of five parts per billion in the layer of water above the thermocline, just multiply the number of billions of pounds of water (17.45) times five. That figure works out to 87.25 pounds.
HOW MUCH OF THE LAKE HAS NO DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN IT IN SUMMER?
Most lakes we study (about 98%) run out of dissolved oxygen somewhere in or under the thermocline in late summer. Let's assume (since we don't know yet) Wall Lake ran out of dissolved oxygen at 27 feet. From the graph we can determine about 14 percent (or about 80 acres) is deeper than 27 feet. This means that about 86 percent of the lake has some dissolved oxygen in it all year long. This is a plus when considering factors such as recycling of nutrients from the bottom sediments during anoxic (no dissolved oxygen) conditions in the bottom water of a lake.
These are just a few examples of how a hypsographic graph can be used, but as you can see it's a very useful lake management tool.
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SOMETIMES THERE'S A PRICE FOR EFFICIENCY (from Ken Burkhalter via the Internet.)
A fellow was eating in a restaurant when he noticed all servers were carrying a spoon in their breast pocket. "Why does everyone have a spoon in their pocket? he asked his waiter.
"We had an efficiency expert review our operations," replied the waiter, "and she determined one of the things we do often is get spoons from the kitchen for folks who've dropped theirs. Hence we now carry replacement spoons."
Satisfied, the fellow continued to eat. But as he did, he noticed all the waiters had a black string hanging from their pants.
"Why do all the waiters have that black string?" he asked his waiter.
"You're pretty sharp," replied the waiter. Most folks don't notice them. The same efficiency expert found we could save additional time if we didn't have to wash our hands after visiting the rest room, so now we use the string to pull ourselves out. And I'll have to admit, the new procedure seems to be a real time saver."
"The string might work fine in one direction, but how do you put things back in?" asked the diner.
"I don't know about the other fellows," replied the waiter, "but I use my spoon."
WHERE IS THE LARGEST MOUNTED MICHIGAN FISH IN THE STATE?
On a wall in the Golden Nugget restaurant in the Irish Hills. The proprietor said it came from a bar in Jackson, and was over a hundred years old. Stop and take a look if you don't believe me. It's hanging on the east wall of the dining room.
MORE ON WALL LAKE
Wall Lake is called that because there is a rock wall on the lake. Walled Lake in Oakland County has a similar wall. I've heard folks suggest the walls were put there by Indians which inhabited the areas in earlier years. However, geologists have another explanation. Ice.
Cliff Humphrys, in his Lake Terminology dictionary defines "ice ramparts" as a ridge or wall of debris on a lake shore, formed by ice push. He defines "ice push" as the on-shore movement of the solid ice sheet of a frozen lake due to expansion. The push or shove action on yielding shore material may produce a rampart or ridge.
He defines an "ice push terrace" as a shoreline feature formed where the expansion of the ice of frozen lakes pushes up successive ridges of gravel or other detritus to substantially the same heights.
Scott, in his classic Inland Lakes of Michigan (1921), specifically discussed the Wall Lake wall. He reported: "The most striking adjustments ... are the perfect bar which rises fully five feet above the present water level and is responsible for the name of the lake, and the decided off-shore terrace. In addition, strong ice ramparts were noted along the west side. This almost perfect adjustment means excellent shore conditions for resort purposes and the lake is deservedly popular during the summer months."
AN ANDY ROONEY QUESTION
Why do so many people want to live for a long time, but no one wants to get old?
1998 CLIFFORD R. HUMPHRYS HONORARY AWARDEES
Two prominent men who've worked in the field of environmental problems for years have been selected as recipients of the 1998 Clifford R. Humphrys HONORARY AWARDS for their leadership roles in protecting Michigan inland lakes, and the environment.
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TED TUCKER
Ted is a retired administrator of the DNR's Lands Division. Although he was not a lawyer, for years his skill in digging up facts and legal background materials and writing legal DNR documents for the Director's signature regarding lands and land use in Michigan was considered by his colleagues to be excellent. His insight and ability to define and address the legality of issues and legislation was considered to be of the highest quality.
He lives in Roscommon and is currently serving as Chair of the Roscommon County Planning Commission. He is also a small business owner involved in commercial maple syrup production.
NED WICKES
Ned was one of the leaders involved with forming the Higgins Lake Property Owners Association, one of the premium lake associations in Michigan. He served as its president for many years. He led the effort to address many of the issues on the lake, including the road ends problem (there are about 80), and was a major force in pursuing the fund raising activities which were necessary to mount a legal challenge to that problem in court. He's currently working with the DNRs Carrie Hardigan on the road ends. I've been in touch with Carrie in the past and have been impressed with her concern for Michigan inland lakes. Ned lives on Higgins Lake, and is currently working on swimmers itch.
For their superior efforts and outstanding leadership roles, TED TUCKER and NED WICKES were selected to receive the 1998 CLIFFORD R. HUMPHRYS HONORARY AWARD for excellence in leadership and a strong commitment to protect Michigan's natural environment.
ARE JET SKIS A FORM OF POLLUTION?
Since "pollution" is often defined as something that limits or diminishes the use or enjoyment of a lake or stream, I think the answer is a definite YES. They not only diminish, they literally destroy the enjoyment of others, along with many of the uses. Swimmers leave the water so they won't get hit, anglers quit fishing, and folks on shore get disgusted, angry, fed up and just plain mad at the disrespect some jet ski operators have for a lake, and other lake users. And most of the boating accidents today involve jet skis. In fact they could almost be described as an accident waiting to happen.
If jet skis were defined as a pollutant, they would have to apply for a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit, would have to follow strict rules and reporting requirements, and would be subject to various legal sanctions if they violated their permit conditions.
HOLD THAT PHOSPHORUS!
say Michigan DNR representatives and fisheries folks from states surrounding the Great Lakes, according to an article in MUCC's Michigan Out-of-Doors magazine. They say it would be irresponsible to add phosphorus to the lakes to increase fish production without good scientific evidence. If you remember, last month I commented that because zebra mussels were so successful at removing phosphorus, one scientist felt adding phosphorus from sewage treatment plants would increase the primary productivity of Lake Erie (in this case) and hence, fish production.
Another scientist suggested we might just get more zebra mussels.
The problem is we can't label phosphorus "for fish production only". Whatever population of organisms is controlling things now (and that's zebra mussels in large part), will probably increase if more nutrients are added. I think it's a bad idea. And so does everyone else I talk to.
MORE DEEP THOUGHTS
½ Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
½ If you try to fail, and succeed, what have you done?
½ Why is the alphabet in alphabetical order? (Ed. note. Words in a word processor dictionary are not.)
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