Map Impact the pioneering environmental data services company has published its findings from the UK Space Agency Climate Call backed project, which studied the factors impacting the freshwater quality in Lake Windermere using satellite technology.
The strongest impacts on the Lake’s water quality came from increased levels of human movement in the catchment area creating over capacity issues for local wastewater infrastructure, and higher temperatures from weather and climate conditions. Both lead to increased chlorophyll and algal bloom events that significantly harm the Lake’s ecosystem. Agricultural activity and land use were not found to be a major contributor to spikes in algae within the Lake.
The project commenced in September 2023 and ran for six months, drawing on knowledge from local community stakeholder groups, and historic data as well as records from various organisations. Satellite imagery and derived data, covering the entire Lake Windermere catchment area, were analysed to provide fresh insight on the algal blooms, caused by increased nutrient input, and regularly seen in the Lake during the peak tourist season.
Richard Flemmings, Map Impact CEO, commented “By taking a novel catchment wide perspective we have been able to bring new evidence to support increased understanding of Lake Windermere’s condition. We’re proud to be able to openly publish the results of this study, including limitations, for use by anyone in the community.”
Posted On: 07/05/2024
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