Secchi depth has increased significantly since the beginning of the month going from 12.5 ft. to 17.2 ft. an increase of almost 5 feet! This is a great sign of improving clarity of the water which hopefully you have all noticed. Last year we had tremendous amounts of rain resulting in significant runoff into the lake. The runoff resulted in below average Secchi readings all season long. Oxygen depletion continues below the thermocline (the area of transition from the warm surface water to the cool deep water) as indicated by the blue line of chart. The deepest parts of the lake have now reached critical oxygen levels. The formation of this anoxic zone (deficient of oxygen) on the lower levels of the lake is happening earlier and earlier each year which is concerning. Whether this is lingering effects of last year’s rain and runoff, or part of a new trend is unclear currently.