A new research collaboration between the University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council is providing important insights into the environmental health of Highfields Lake, revealing how seasonal nutrient pollution contributes to algal growth and low oxygen conditions that may affect aquatic life.
The findings are now being shared with the public through a new outdoor exhibition marking the centenary of Nottingham's Highfields Park, which fully opened to the public in 1926.
Located around the lake, six exhibition boards reveal cutting-edge environmental science combined with historical research to explore how the park and its iconic lake have changed over the past 100 years.
Researchers from the University's School of Geography have been monitoring Highfields Lake for more than two years, collecting monthly data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH, alongside laboratory analysis of nutrient levels, including phosphorus.
Our research has shown that, at key times of the year, high levels of nutrients enter the lake, triggering algal blooms. As the algae decompose, oxygen levels in the water can fall, creating conditions that may contribute to fish mortality events observed in previous years."
The project also highlights the value of bringing together scientific research, historical archives and public engagement to improve understanding of local environments.
Alongside the environmental monitoring, researchers have worked with Manuscripts and Special Collections to uncover the history of Highfields Park through archive records, historic weather observations, university records and photographs donated by former students. A specially curated collection of historic images of Highfields has also been added to the Manuscripts and Special Collections Digital Gallery.
The University's unique archive collections have been able to tell us so much about the history of Highfields Park. The display boards link to the online gallery where the earliest image is a map dated 1893, enabling visitors to the lake to explore how the site has developed over time."
The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with Greenspace and Natural Environment at Nottingham City Council and presents both the scientific findings and the historical story of the lake in an accessible outdoor display.
The exhibition forms part of LAKE (Lake Archives for Knowledge Exchange), a public engagement project funded by the University of Nottingham's Faculty of Social Sciences. The project brings together researchers from the School of Geography, the University's Manuscripts and Special Collections, and Nottingham City Council.
The research findings will also be presented at the public lecture On Highfields Lake, taking place at Lakeside Arts from 1–2pm on Wednesday 23 September.
The research is continuing through the Nottingham University Freshwater Observatory (NUFO), established by the School of Geography with support from the Regional Innovation Fund. In May, researchers installed a new digital weather station at Highfields, in place to monitor this summer's heatwaves, including a maximum temperature of 35.06°C on 26 June.
Additional weather and water-quality monitoring equipment will be installed at locations across the region, enabling researchers to better understand how weather, water quality and environmental conditions interact. The data will support local organisations in making informed decisions about the management of freshwater environments.
