Water in and around the lake has a dark, tea-like color. Decaying vegetation surrounding the lake produces fuluvic, humic, and tannic acids, and gives the water its distinctive color. Water color and change in water volume for Lake Louise are of particular interest because they give insight to past changes in regional hydrology. Previous studies of lake core suggest that water levels were higher, lake volume was greater, and water color was less dark prior to 4000 years before present than it is today. Color data indicate that swamp water is more than twice as dark as lake water.
Data also show an increase in water color with an increase in water depth.
Little difference is noted between open water in the center of the lake and open water around the lake margin that has abundant algae. DEM data show that as water levels rise the ratio of swamp volume to open lake volume increases. These data also reveal a critical water level that joins together the Lake Louise and Browns Pond drainage basins. At this critical water level, swamp volume increased by a factor of 80. Color and volumetric data suggest either that previously higher water levels were not substantially lighter in color than present, as presumed, or that factors other than just the size of the swamp should be considered when inferring paleohydrology for the site.