Rolla partners with MDC to install floating wetlands at Ber Juan Lake

ROLLA, Mo. – The City of Rolla’s Ber Juan Lake is a popular destination for anglers, nature enthusiasts, and migrating waterfowl. In recent years, however, the lake has also been home to an unwelcome guest — excessive algae blooms that can impact water quality and outdoor recreation.

To combat the algae, the City of Rolla partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) through its Community Conservation Cost-Share Program to add floating wetlands to the lake.

Rolla’s Recreation Manager Andrew Smith said the city recently added three floating wetlands designed to improve water quality and reduce excessive algae growth.

The floating wetlands are the latest in a series of efforts to improve the lake’s health. Because Ber Juan Lake functions as a stormwater detention basin, it continually receives nutrient-rich runoff that fuels the growth of algae and other aquatic vegetation.

“Hopefully, this will cut down the algae, create habitat for the fish, and beautify the area as well,” Smith said of the combined MDC and Rolla Parks and Recreation initiative.

“It’s a good spot for young kids to learn to fish for the first time,” Smith added. “Algae growth makes that difficult when you’re snagging it with your hook.”

Floating wetlands provide a range of environmental benefits. They filter sediment and contaminants from stormwater. These systems can also take up excess nutrients that, if left unchecked, could lead to excessive algal blooms and dead zones in lakes. As roots of the water-friendly plants on the wetland stretch down into the water, they form a mesh that provides habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms.

Above-water, the plants’ blooms provide habitat for pollinating insects, birds, and other wildlife. Floating wetlands are a nature-based strategy with multiple benefits that can be used in combination with other conservation practices to reduce and treat the complex problems caused by excess nutrients within our watershed.

Three more floating wetlands will be added in 2027, and a final trio will be placed in 2028. Missouri University of Science and Technology had placed a temporary, smaller floating wetland at the lake to monitor water quality in previous years.

In addition to the Missouri S&T effort, earlier and continuing projects have included the planting of native plants along the bank that draw the nutrients out of the water and the annual stocking of grass carp that feed on the growth.

Additionally, the city’s first use of its Prop P funds, money that comes from a public supported tax for Park improvements, was for a series of aerators in Ber Juan Lake to help improve water quality for the fish as these remediations are being done.

Along with the floating wetlands, the city is also working on a pollinator habitat at the lake.

“People are going to start seeing some dead grass,” Smith said. “We’re redoing this whole area with MDC, and we’re hoping it’ll make a big difference.”

City of Rolla Parks & Recreation Director Floyd Jernigan noted the native plants will bring in a host of beneficial pollinators.

“The pollinator habitat and the planting of native grasses and plants will help provide habitat for native bees, hummingbirds, beneficial insects, and notably, Monarch butterflies,” said Jernigan.

Rolla’s Ber Juan Lake is home to a variety of fish species, including bluegill, sunfish, channel catfish, and bass. Community members enjoy the annual youth fishing day in late May, along with other events and activities at the lake throughout the year.

Visitors are encouraged to observe the new additions at Ber Juan Lake with an in-person visit to 1200 Holloway Street in Rolla.

MDC Fisheries Biologist Blake Friedrich said the department is already seeing success after adding floating wetlands across the state to help with algae and nutrient problems in lakes and ponds.

Check out pond and stream management at mdc.mo.gov/your-property/improve-your-property/habitat-management/pond-stream-management

Learn about algae control at mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/nuisance-native-plants/algae-control