hey /out/siders, I've been an island/coastal boy all my life. What's the deal with lakes? I have had zero experience with them.
For the summer, I moved to western Massachusetts for 3 months and there's nothing but lakes.
Is any and all lake I find okay to swim in?
>>1057168
Depends if the water is cold or not
>>1057179
Its not freezing but it's on the colder side
>>1057168
>What's the deal with lakes?
>>1057168
Not all are ok, but in your described area they're most likely amazing. If they look like clean water they're almost certainly ok for swimming. I don't recommend drinking it though, unless a local confirms they're clean.(standing lakes are not drinkable in general, the ones with river are sometimes ok)
>>1057276
>moving water is safe to drink
is a meme
>>1057168
Lakes are harder to swim in since there is no current or salt in the water to help hold up the swimmer.
>>1057282
I said they're sometimes ok. I would never drink unknown waters. It is much more likely that running water is clean, but that doesn't mean that all, or even most, are clean
>>1057390
>It is much more likely that running water is clean
No, it depends on what is upstream
Moving water does not magically destroy microorganisms
In fact, at high altitudes the surface of a still lake is the safest thing to drink because it has been bombarded with UV, which kills microbes
>>1057464
>UV, which kills microbes
Did you just say Ultra-Violet rays kill microbes? HAHAHAHAHHAHA
>>1057168
Where you at in western mass? Out in the Beautiful Berkshire Hills®™?
Most of the lakes out here are good for swimming, and the ones that are nasty are obvious. The Green River has some great swimming holes as well, and it's pretty clean. Stay out of the Housatonic River though.
>>1057470
??? Does anyone know what this guy's laughing at???
>>1057718
Is laughing at:
> In fact, at high altitudes the surface of a still lake is the safest thing to drink because it has been bombarded with UV, which kills microbes
"Why" is left as an exercise to the reader.
>>1057470
Filtered water can be put into plastic bottles and left out in the sun for several hours to purify in survival situations. I thought everyone knew this. It's not the best method but its safer than just filtering.
I still wouldn't drink from a lake though.