More Clarity at Clear Lake

Clear Lake for now is a lot clearer thanks to the growth of a microscopicorganism. Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Jim Wahlsays zooplankton (zoh-uh-plank’-tun) are responsible. The zooplankton feedon algae and help clean up the lake. Wahl says zooplankton organisms arealways in the lake, but it takes a certain set of circumstances for it togrow to a population size that can help Clear Lake’s clarity. Somethingunexplained has happened to increase the amount of the zooplankton in thelake. He says they’ve been able to artificially increase the population ofzooplankton in small lakes, but can’t do that in Clear Lake. Wahl says DNRofficers at Clear Lake have reported being able to see down to a depth ofnine feet, something that has not happened since the last major outbreak ofzooplankton in the late spring of 1995.