University of Montana doctoral candidate Brooke Bain-White’s research explores hundreds of years of ecological changes involving Glacier National Park’s famous lakes. (Photo courtesy of Brooke Bain-White)
February 11, 2025
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February 25, 2025 7 a.m.
Unchartered Waters: UM Students Study Wildfire Impacts on Mountain Lakes
In 2018, the National Park Service discovered a substantial rise in nutrient concentrations in Lake McDonald, one of Glacier’s most visited lakes. Increases in nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, can cause nuisance growth of algae, threatening the clarity of the park’s lakes, which are among the area’s biggest draws.