Can Someone Explain to Me...

[EC1]

Trying to wrap something around in my head right now...

What exactly happens to lakes when they freeze over and become crystal clear, and as soon as they thaw, it becomes a murky lake with 1 - 2 feet of visibility.

An example I can think of would be Scugog.

 

All theories, scientific or not are welcome. Thanks!

[Rod Caster]

I'd say runoff and the spring turnover (which mixed the stratified water) have the most major impact on water turbidity, although Scugog likely doesn't have a turnover due to it's shallow nature.

[SirCranksalot]

Trying to wrap something around in my head right now...

What exactly happens to lakes when they freeze over and become crystal clear, and as soon as they thaw, it becomes a murky lake with 1 - 2 feet of visibility.

An example I can think of would be Scugog.

 

All theories, scientific or not are welcome. Thanks!

 

First of all, Scogog isn't a lake---it's just big slough!

 

The diff is that, once the ice is out, the wind can stir up the bottom on shallow lakes. So the bottom mud gets mixed in the water.

[dracokaos]

I think you also have to take in account the suspended vegetation during the summer, plus all the little bugs and algae.....

[EC1]

I like quick responses! Makes a ton of sense now.

Thanks!

I will make a quick guess, that Scugog gets so muddy because of its bottom composition along with the runoff from nearby farms, and towns.

[manitoubass2]

All of the above. Think, if you throw a hay bail in your swimming pool its gonna be pretty full of hay. If you throw it in a large lake you wont even notice it. Also, lakes with hard bottom composition filter themselves and tend to be very clear. A lake with mud/soft bottom can be clear at times too, if water levels dont fluctuate and the wind/rain stays away. Some lakes around here are so cool too fish, 100 fow and you can see bottom. Others are just zero visibly but are awesome lakes to fish.