What Is Bio-Dredging?
Bio-Dredging is the process of digesting away accumulated organic sediment that fuels nutrient recycling
What does Bio-Dredging do?
Suppressing and controlling the rate of nutrient release from sediments.
Depleting the sediment nutrient stockpiles that recycle nutrients to sustain and intensify eutrophication.
Eliminating the mucky, nutrient-rich rooting beds that promote invasive weed growth, and also leads to nutrient recycling.
How Do You Bio-dredge A Lake?
The first requirement for successful Bio-Dredging is fully oxygenating the water at the benthic margin, where water and sediment meet.
This facilitates the proliferation of aerobic conditions and ensures that the increased oxygen demand created by organic sediment digestion can be met.
What Role do Enzymes Play?
Once full oxygenation is achieved, we employ enzymatic digestion to Bio-Dredge away the organic sediment.
We specifically use enzymes instead of microbes because when microbes proliferate, they produce a microbial sludge. While this sludge is desirable in wastewater treatment, it is counter-productive in lakes and reservoirs.
Enzymes, on the other hand, are biological catalysts for specific biochemical reactions. They break down organic matter into smaller, more readily available compounds that can be consumed by the existing microbial community in the lake or reservoir.
This process not only reduces the organic sediment layer, but also stimulates the growth of beneficial algae and zooplankton that contribute to the overall health of the aquatic ecosystem.
As the organic sediment is digested, nutrients are released into the water column. To prevent these nutrients from fueling new algal blooms or invasive weed growth, it is essential to have a robust and diverse food web in place.
Zooplankton, aquatic insects, and fish play a crucial role in consuming the biomass produced by the released nutrients, effectively clearing them from the water body.
What are the Benefits of Bio-Dredging?
Bio-Dredging is a gradual process. Annual bathymetric surveys help track the progress of sediment reduction and inform any adjustments to the oxygenation system and enzymatic treatment regimen to re-optimize performance.
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- Progress Made In Two Years Of Bio-Dredging
The benefits of Bio-Dredging extend beyond the reduction of organic sediment and nutrient recycling. As the sediment layer diminishes, the water body’s depth increases, allowing for better light penetration and improved habitat for aquatic life.
The removal of mucky, nutrient-rich rooting beds also helps control the growth of invasive weeds, which can otherwise dominate the ecosystem and contribute to nutrient recycling.
By combining enzymatic Bio-Dredging with RADOR oxygenation and a focus on building a robust food web, lake managers can effectively address the root causes of eutrophication and set the stage for sustainable water quality improvements.
Clear water, clean, muck-free shoreline
This holistic approach not only targets the immediate symptoms of eutrophication but also works to restore the natural balance and resilience of the aquatic ecosystem.
Another way to see the impact of Bio-Dredging is to look at the change in contour lines over the years. As the deeper contour lines get further and further apart, the volume of the waterbody increases.
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West Chester, PA 19380
Phone: 800-328-6656
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