Spirit Lake
Nature can be so resilient and adaptable. Spirit Lake near Mt St Helens is an impressive example. If you look closely at the lake, you'll see that half of it is still full of logs from the 1980 eruption that knocked down trees many miles away. At the time, scientists thought that Spirit Lake may take decades to recover as the water turned toxic, infested by noxious bacteria and slime molds. The lack of oxygen killed off much of the life in the lake. But phytoplankton emerged and within just a few years began to restore the lake's oxygen levels. The water became clear again and fish were able to be reintroduced. What a great turn-around story!
Spirit Lake
Nature can be so resilient and adaptable. Spirit Lake near Mt St Helens is an impressive example. If you look closely at the lake, you'll see that half of it is still full of logs from the 1980 eruption that knocked down trees many miles away. At the time, scientists thought that Spirit Lake may take decades to recover as the water turned toxic, infested by noxious bacteria and slime molds. The lack of oxygen killed off much of the life in the lake. But phytoplankton emerged and within just a few years began to restore the lake's oxygen levels. The water became clear again and fish were able to be reintroduced. What a great turn-around story!