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Nutrient loading has a
significant influence on lake health, and discovering the causes of nutrient
loading was a central part of our study.
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¥Sediments run into lakes through natural process and human land use
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¥In Maine, these sediments carry high levels of nutrients, especially
phosphorus and nitrogen, which can lead to high algal growth.
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¥Excessive algae overwhelms other organisms, consumes nutrients and
depletes oxygen in a lake.
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¥The combination of sedimentation and excessive productivity shorten
the life of a lake, as the bottom fills in and flora and fauna are unable to
survive.
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¥Lakes that are prematurely aging as a result of these processes are
classified as eutrophic, and Threemile Pond is considered a eutrophic lake.
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