May was the sunniest calendar month on record and with the way things are going it may well not hold that title for long! So, this year more than any other year, water management specialist Otterbine is advising greenkeepers to be pre-emptive to the challenges hot weather can throw at lakes and ponds.  

Water left unattended for long periods of time can very quickly deteriorate, especially as the weather warms up and as it’s predicted this summer will be a hot one – some say reminiscent to that of 2018 – it cannot be underestimated how important it will be to manage water quality. 

Warm water, plentiful sunlight and an excess of nutrients is a combination that, without a proper water management system in place, can leave lakes and ponds with problems such as algae, aquatic weeds and odours. 

Simon Powell, Otterbine business development manager at distributor Reesink Turfcare, explains why it’s vital to implement preventative measures now, he says: “Oxygen depletion or stress situations occur for different reasons, but many lake management issues are related to both the light and heat generated by the summer sun. We understand that for some, water management may not be top of the to-do priority list, but it really does pay dividends to act now before the problems take hold. 

“Once a lake has lost its ecological balance and goes into crisis, the costs of restoring the lake increase dramatically. As well as often being more expensive to implement, reactive solutions tend to be less friendly to the environment too.” 

Low oxygen levels, combined with minimal circulation, prematurely ages water and throws the natural ecosystem out of balance. Only then do symptoms of poor water quality begin to appear, which as well as algae, weeds and odours, include sludge build up and aquatic life struggles or is killed off.  

Simon says: “By increasing oxygen levels and circulating oxygen rich water throughout a lake, water quality can remain high, inhibiting algae, aquatic weeds and unpleasant odours. The most natural water quality management solution is to introduce aeration into a pond or lake to eliminate stagnant water. That’s where Otterbine’s aeration systems can help.” 

With Otterbine’s aerating fountains, industrial aerators and diffused air systems and their proven high oxygen transfer rates, the dissolved oxygen levels in lakes or ponds can be easily increased, preventing or curing stagnant water, algae build up and bad smells for clean, clear, healthy water. And with Otterbine’s decorative range, lakes or ponds can be made an appealing beauty spot at the same time. 

reesinkturfcare.co.uk