Innocently brush up against a bush, mow the lawn, or look at the side of the garage.  Stop short of taking a deep breath, because you don’t want a mouthful.  Depending upon your location, you may have encountered a massive hatching of mayflies.  The annoyance factor is prominent –  they attach easily to your clothing, face, hair, etc.  And they find their way inside.

So, does this indicate a healthy lake?  According to Wikipedia, mayflies live in fresh water “where their presence indicates a clean, unpolluted environment.”  John Deming researched the topic 9 years ago, and the results were published on this website.  “A lot of particulate in the water diminishes their numbers.  While in the water, they breathe through gills and turbidity prevents that from happening.  Further, fewer mayflies may inhibit growth of the fish and bird population as both feed lustily on them.  So if there is a big hatching, that’s good news.”  Just remember to breath through your nose.

When mayflies hatch, they emerge from the water fully winged.  This tends to happen when the water temperature is between 62 and 65 degrees.  This morning (Thurs 5/8), the water temperature was 55 degrees, warmer than the air temperature of 49.  Like the air temperature, water temperature varies a lot.  The article referenced 59 degrees on Monday, May 9, 2016.  Whatever the exact formula for a hatching, it must have been close to perfect given the massive crop on May 7th, at least for one section of Clark Lake located along Eagle Point Road.