Algae grows on the surface of a pond adjacent to a golf course in the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California. Normally algae does not grow in the clear and pristine lakes of mountainous regions, but due to the heavy application of inorganic fertilizers on the nearby golf course, runoff into the pond concentrates the plant nutrients and stimulates and algal bloom. This process, known as cultural eutrophication, can lead to septic conditions due to aerobic decomposition of the algae. With... more »
Algae grows on the surface of a pond adjacent to a golf course in the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California. Normally algae does not grow in the clear and pristine lakes of mountainous regions, but due to the heavy application of inorganic fertilizers on the nearby golf course, runoff into the pond concentrates the plant nutrients and stimulates and algal bloom. This process, known as cultural eutrophication, can lead to septic conditions due to aerobic decomposition of the algae. With lowered dissolved oxygen, fish and macroinvertebrates drown in the resultant "dead zone." This same process occurs on a large scale, as in the Mississippi River Delta and the Chesapeake Bay. Mammoth Mountain Ski Area is in the background. « less
