A Lake Whisperer guide to how environmental DNA testing works, adapted from Wilderlab's FAQs. Can I detect every species that's present? No. Metabarcoding is a powerful way to survey species...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Ask three lake experts how to monitor water quality and you'll get three answers — a grab sample, a buoy, a satellite pass — often with the implication that theirs...
Lake Pulse Editor |
A lake can look perfect right up until the day it doesn't. Clear water, good fishing, a busy shoreline on a Saturday — none of that tells you what's happening...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Congratulations on becoming the Lake Admin for your lake. This role carries real responsibility, you're now the steward of your lake's data and the primary point of contact for your...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Every few weeks, a board member or neighbor asks one of our subscribers a version of the same question: Why do we actually need this? Why a weather station when...
Lake Pulse Editor |
A single "No Swimming" sign can do more economic damage in a weekend than a decade of deferred lake management. Property listings stall. The marina cancels reservations. The county assessor's...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Target the Right Legislators Improving your lake’s water quality isn’t about finding a single “friendly” politician—it’s about identifying the officials who actually control water policy. State senators and state house...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Every lake faces pollution risks. Some are obvious—like cloudy water after a storm. Others develop quietly over time, such as rising nutrient levels or bacteria from failing septic systems. At...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Why Counting Lakes Isn’t So Simple Asking how many lakes exist in the US sounds straightforward, but the answer depends heavily on definitions. Some inventories count only larger natural lakes,...
Lake Pulse Editor |
If Lake Pulse is the platform for understanding lake health, the Boathouse is where human expertise comes in. It’s the place subscribers turn when data, regulations, funding questions, or monitoring...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Weather Is a Primary Driver of Lake Health Weather is one of the most powerful—and often underestimated—forces shaping lake health and safety. Rainfall, temperature, wind, and pressure influence how a...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Managing a lake almost always means navigating permits. Whether the goal is improving water quality, maintaining access, or protecting infrastructure, most activities that alter a lake, its shoreline, or its...
Lake Pulse Editor |
In the U.S., certified environmental labs operate under formal oversight from state agencies and EPA programs. They use EPA-approved or Standard Methods, follow strict quality controls, maintain chain-of-custody, and undergo...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Background Kevin runs his lake association and has successfully guided the community to achieve most of its goals and objectives. While the association is thriving, Kevin is always looking for...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Background Michelle is a dedicated member of her lake community. She wants to move beyond passive observation and play a more active role in protecting her lake’s health and safety....
Lake Pulse Editor |
Background Sarah lives near the lake year-round and follows it closely on Lake Pulse. As a freemium member, she receives alerts and checks in on updates, but she often notices...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Background Jamie loves spending summers at his family’s lake house. He doesn’t live on the lake full time, but he cares about the water quality — especially as he brings...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Why create a Zone? Not all lakes behave the same everywhere. On larger lakes — or lakes with many coves, basins, or distinct shoreline conditions — water quality, ecology, and...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Dear Lake Management Community, We are occasionally asked why Lake Pulse doesn’t work directly on the Great Lakes. It’s a fair question. The Great Lakes — Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie,...
Lake Pulse Editor |
One of the most common questions we hear at Lake Pulse is simple: Do we really need an Admin subscription, or can we manage our lake with a basic subscription?...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Dredging is one of the most significant and invasive management activities you can undertake in a lake or pond. While it can restore depth, improve water quality, and extend the...
Lake Pulse Editor |
For the last decade, environmental DNA (eDNA) has been the darling of conservation biology and ecosystem monitoring. By capturing fragments of genetic material left behind in water, scientists and managers...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Lakes don’t take care of themselves. Every shoreline, every cove, every stream that feeds into a lake needs thoughtful oversight. For decades, this role has often fallen to dedicated volunteers...
Lake Pulse Editor |
When we think about water levels, rivers usually grab the headlines. Flooding rivers can breach their banks, damage property, and disrupt lives. The danger is immediate and visible. Lakes, on...
Lake Pulse Editor |
If you manage or care for a lake, chances are you’ve got data. Lots of it. Reports, surveys, consultant studies, lab results, maybe even photos of old documents tucked away...
Lake Pulse Editor |
When it comes to lake health, early detection is everything. The sooner you know whether an invasive species like zebra mussels has arrived, the sooner you can act to protect...
Lake Pulse Editor |
When most people think of keeping a lake healthy, they imagine water testing for nutrients or checking algae levels. But today, some of the most powerful tools for understanding what’s...
Lake Pulse Editor |
If you’ve ever fallen down a rabbit hole reading about lake science, you’ve probably stumbled across words that sound like they belong in a grad school exam, not a casual...
Lake Pulse Editor |
Most lake owners worry about algae, swimming safety, or maybe even shoreline erosion. But here’s the truth: if you can’t name the aquatic plants growing in your lake—all of them—you’re...
Lake Pulse Editor |
States like Vermont, Maine, and Oregon have enacted restrictions on wake surfing. Hundreds of lakes in Wisconsin are operating under local ordinances. And Minnesota may be next. Yet even as...
Lake Pulse Editor |
