2018 Restoration & Evolution

2018 Restoration and Evolution. . , Throughout the years, Mirror Lake has evolved into various shapes and forms but has remained one of the most iconic locations on campus., With a focus on safety and sustainability, the renovations to Mirror Lake completed in 2018 have returned the lake to a more natural form., The natural appearance of the lake belies the underlying engineering and design that make it possible. Water is collected through an intake pipe near the west end of the lake, drawn to the pump station, and circulated back to the forebay. Here, it percolates up through natural filtering media and plant roots. This filtered water then flows over the aerating weir wall and continues west toward Neil Avenue., As the water flows toward the circulation intake pipe, an aeration system oxygenates the water column that helps reduce odors, algae blooms, and the growth of floating vegetation. Aeration also helps reduce the amount of free-reactive phosphorus through oxidation and provides an oxygen-rich environment to promote a healthful habitat for fish and other aquatic life., The areas around the lake, known as the aquatic margin, have been planted with emergent and submergent plants to form the foundation of a healthful aquatic ecosystem. The plants, in conjunction with the forebay, act as the lake's own filtering system, helping to trap and absorb pollutants., These natural systems help improve water quality in the lake and in the stormwater overflow that discharges into the Olentangy Watershed., In addition to improving stormwater discharge, the diverse plants in the aquatic margin help create healthful wetland and pond ecosystems that support a diversity of aquatic animals, including microcrustaceans, insects such as dragonflies and water beetles, pond snails, tadpoles, frogs, leeches, fish, and snapping turtles. These creatures are a crucial component of wetland and pond ecosystems and provide an invaluable food web among plants, microorganisms, and other animals., The renovations also included new native plantings throughout the Mirror Lake district to provide a habitat for pollinators and support a much more sustainable landscape., Important pollinators such as honeybees and monarch butterflies are in decline in Central Ohio and around the world. Because of an increase in pesticides, urbanization, and invasive species, many natural habitats for pollinators have become scarce, and available nectar and pollen sources have declined., Help us support this delicate ecosystem. Please stay on paths to prevent damage to pond edge plantings, and put trash and recyclables in their proper place., Thank you and Go Bucks!