Lake mixing also referred to as turnover, occurs when the thermal stratification of a lake breaks down and the water column mixes due to density or wind-driven processes. Before discussing lake mixing, we need to go over thermal stratification. Thermal stratification occurs when a lake has different layers, or strata, of water with different temperatures.

Long-term environmental monitoring is notoriously difficult to fund and challenging to keep going. Yet, the return on investment is significant, and we know that to protect and manage our natural resources, we need good data. Mirror Lake is a prime example of how long-term monitoring can improve water quality and lake health.

In April 2022, the AWI Environmental Research Laboratory became certified under the New York State Department of Health’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP). This certification will help advance AWI’s work, and that of our partners, to protect clean water in the Adirondack region.