A: Aquatic plants are important for the health of lakes and rivers, so removing them without a permit can damage the ecosystem.

A: Boat traffic can have a significant impact on lakes, especially on weekends when traffic is heaviest. The impact can include water clarity, shoreline erosion, and stimulating algae growth. Boat operators can help reduce the impact by operating at no-wake speeds in shallow areas.

A: We have to use water from the utility service provided by the City of Naperville at several locations, but we are able to use existing bodies of water in some instances.

A: it's complicated.

A: A low lake water level can be caused by a variety of things, including drought, excessive evaporation, or a change in the local water table.

A: You may need a permit to pump or divert water from a lake or its outlet stream in order to bring the water level back to normal. Contact your local water management specialist for more information.

A: Invasive species are plants or animals that are not native to a particular area and that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.

A: Blue-green algae blooms can be harmful to humans and animals, so it is best to avoid swimming in waters where these blooms are present. Reducing the amount of nutrients entering the lake is the best way to control the intensity and frequency of blue-green algal blooms.

A: The material you are seeing in your lake water is most likely pine pollen. It's very common to see this material in late spring to summer. After becoming waterlogged, the pollen sinks to the bottom. This is a natural event and shouldn't affect the overall water quality of your lake.

A: It's natural and not harmful, it's just tannins from decomposing plants in the watershed.

A: Marl lakes are usually turquoise in color because of the high concentration of calcium carbonate in the water and the light-colored marl lakebed.

A: Swimmer's itch is caused by a blood fluke that mistakes humans for its primary host (waterfowl). The resulting itch can last from a few days to several weeks, but is otherwise harmless. There are preventive measures that can be taken to avoid swimmer's itch.

A: The foam you see on the surface of lakes and streams is usually natural and harmless. It's created when organic compounds from decomposing plants and animals mix with air, as a result of wind and waves, or as water flows through rapids or over a dam. The foam often collects on a downwind or downstream shore.

A: The white, milky-looking substance is most likely a whiting or sudden appearance of calcium monocarbonate (CaCO3) or calcite due to increased photosynthesis from algae or aquatic plants.

A: It's probably filamentous algae, sometimes called "moss" or "pond scum." This is a common and troublesome aquatic plant that forms dense, hair-like mats in shallow water where sunlight reaches the bottom of the pond or lake.

A: Drought is a complex physical and social phenomenon of widespread significance, and despite all the problems droughts have caused, drought has been difficult to define. There is no universally accepted definition because: 1) drought, unlike flood, is not a distinct event, and 2) drought is often the result of many complex factors acting on and interacting within the environment.

A: The current drought in Texas may affect the state water plan, but it is not the only factor that determines whether or not water shortages will occur. Conservation efforts are managed at the local level, and drought contingency plans are required for all retail water suppliers in Texas. Contact your local water supplier or groundwater conservation district for more information on water restrictions that may be in effect for your area.

A: The best way to reduce the risk of summer branch drop is to water trees during prolonged dry periods, and to rope off areas of the garden where the problem is most likely to occur.

A: Drought can cause water bodies to shrink, exposing new areas of land and promoting the growth of aquatic weeds.