Pollen on the Water

Let’s “clear up” a little concern before the weekend!

If you have noticed yellow-green dust blanketing the surface of Devil’s Lake recently, don’t worry, it’s not algae. It’s just a sign that our local pine & willow trees are in the midst of their pollination season!

Every year around this time, these trees release their pollen, some of which finds its way to the lake, creating a yellow, dust-like coating on the surface. It might look a little like algae at first glance, but this pollen is perfectly harmless (Unless you’re allergies flair up!) and doesn’t really impact the water quality. Plus, it’s a vibrant sign of the flourishing life in our beautiful park!

Remember, unlike algae blooms which are often green to blue-green, pollen is distinctly yellow-green and stays mostly on the surface. After a while, it becomes waterlogged and simply sinks out of sight. (OR washes up on shore!)

So, go ahead and enjoy your lakeside activities as usual, surrounded by the wonders of nature’s processes.

Still, keep an eye out for Blue-Green Alga before jumping in or letting your pup run into the lake.

Derrick Mayoleth

For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.