By Erin Stewart Katelyn Behounek


BACK TO BASICS:


Consider the Rule of Three to Restore Balance to Your Aquatic Ecosystem


W


hen developing a management plan for a lake or pond, it is im- portant to keep its purpose and


priorities in mind. Is it strictly aesthetic? Is it used for fishing or recreation? Maybe it fa- cilitates irrigation, fire suppression or storm- water collection? An effective freshwater management program can be compared to the importance of each leg on a “three-legged stool.” Just like the legs supporting the stool, many water resources are interdependent, meaning that the actions taken in the water- shed could cause imbalances that have nega- tive consequences downstream.


Think of each “leg” of this metaphorical three-legged stool as representative of the (1) physical, (2) chemical, and (3) biological components of a freshwater resource. If one part of this trinity breaks down, the others will follow. To ensure each of these aspects is protected, it’s important to understand the ways in which they contribute to the health of a waterbody and how to identify imbal- ances when they arise.


The first leg of the stool—the physical char- acteristics of a lake or pond—includes fea- tures such as size, depth, volume, bottom substrate, water source and exchange through the system. These are major components that can affect how a lake or pond responds to en- vironmental conditions. For instance, shal- low ponds with excessive build up of bottom muck and sediment or those with limited


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