Is FLAB good or bad for Higgins Lake? Is Higgins Lake getting Flabby?
The acronym stands for Floating Algal Benthos, not that stuff that you go to the gym to get rid of. While human flab is a disparaging term for fat, all algae are not created equal and certainly not detrimental. Many have ecological roles to play in natural bodies of water.
Algae play important roles in nutrient cycling by taking up substances such as phosphorus and nitrogen. In moderate amounts, algae can contribute to a balanced ecosystem. During the day, algae undergo photosynthesis and produce oxygen, which benefits other aquatic organisms. Algae can contribute to water clarity by absorbing suspended particles, which may improve visibility in the water.
Some algae provide habitat and food for various aquatic organisms, supporting biodiversity. While floating algal benthos can have positive ecological roles, anything can be present in harmful amounts, including things such as holiday fruitcake. Just because you may observe FLAB in Higgins Lake in no way warrants that conclusion, unless you are simply fishing for reasons to tarnish the lake as polluted to justify an expensive public sewer project.
Finding golden brown algae in a lake is hardly a cause for alarm or justify unfounded claims that it is killing a lake. That’s what rookies do when they pretend to be science oriented, but, when instead, they are looking for reasons to affirm their preconceived belief that Higgins Lake water is going to hell in a handbasket.
If we conducted biomedical research in the same fashion as some are judging lake water quality, we would still be therapeutically bleeding patients who were suffering from anemia or dusting them with DDT to get rid of head lice.
Phillip Robinson
Higgins Lake
