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Water analysis
Clear water is not always healthy water. Fish can be stressed and algae can be building long before you see a problem. Testing shows what is actually going on in your lake or pond.
Desert water is hard on lakes. Warm water holds less oxygen. Evaporation concentrates salts and other contaminants. Some community lakes are topped up with reclaimed water, which can be high in phosphorus and nitrogen, the nutrients algae feed on.
Testing also protects your budget and your fish. The right treatment depends on the water. Copper algaecides, for example, become more toxic to fish as alkalinity drops. We test first, so treatments are chosen for your water, not guessed.
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What we test
- Dissolved oxygen and temperature — early warning signs of fish stress
- pH, alkalinity and hardness — they decide which treatments are safe to use
- Phosphorus and nitrogen — the nutrients that feed algae
- Salinity and conductivity — salts that build up as water evaporates
- Algae identification — knowing what is growing before choosing a treatment
- Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) — some types can make toxins
- Golden algae (Prymnesium parvum) — a fish-killing alga found in Arizona lakes; tested on request by a laboratory, at an added cost
- Sediment — the lake bottom can release stored phosphorus back into the water
How it works
- SampleWe collect surface water and, where needed, sediment from your lake or pond.
- AnalyzeWe measure on site and send samples to a laboratory where needed, then compare the results with what healthy fish and water need.
- PlanWe choose treatments that fit your results.
- You get the recordBefore and after photos, readings and products used, by email and in your client portal.
The science behind it
Healthy-looking water can hide problems. Warm water holds less oxygen than cool water, so desert lakes run closer to the edge in summer. Nitrogen and phosphorus are what algae feed on: when they build up, blooms follow.
Alkalinity matters too. Copper algaecides become more toxic to fish as alkalinity drops, so the same product can be safe in one lake and harmful in another. And some algae, including blue-green algae and golden algae, cannot be told apart by eye. Only testing shows which is which.
This is why we hold the Arizona Lake Symposium every year, with PMD CEU training credits. We use the science and apply it to what we see and measure on your water. No canned plans from a desk at a distant head office.
About the symposium →Want to dig deeper? These are the studies and guides behind this page:
- USGS — Dissolved oxygen and water
- University of Arizona — Lakeside Lake management manual (reclaimed water, evaporation)
- EPA — Nutrient pollution
- Copper in farm ponds: alkalinity and fish safety
- UC Davis — You cannot tell a toxic bloom by looking
- Arizona Game and Fish — Golden algae fish kills at Saguaro and Canyon lakes
- New Mexico Environment Department — Golden algae fact sheet
- University of Michigan — Lake-bottom sediments release phosphorus
Other services: Chemical treatment · Biological augmentation · Fish stocking · Periphyton habitats