Ecosystem Restoration of Lakes through Biomanipulation and Aeration

The Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India, is blessed with many famous natural lakes such as Nainital, Naukuchiatal, Khurpatal, Bhimtal, Sattal, etc. Every lake is a specific body of water that indicates many of the characteristics of the surrounding watershed and the climate, as well as the shape and volume of the lake basin. Biomanipulation and aeration are generally used for lake management to improve water quality, particularly in eutrophic lakes with excessive nutrient loading. Biomanipulation involves manipulating the trophic structure (the food web) by altering fish populations to reduce phytoplankton blooms. In this study, the effect of biomanipulation and aeration has been demonstrated for Lake Nainital and Naukuchiatal of Uttarakhand. The results suggested that biomanipulation and aeration are successful for the two lakes in the form of increasing transparency, decreasing phytoplankton and unwanted fish, and increasing zooplankton and many food fishes.