This contribution accounts for elevated levels of selenium found in tissue samples from some game fish in the lake. It is unlikely that agricultural or industrial controls will significantly influence selenium input to the lake ecosystem. However in excessive amounts, selenium can be disabling or even deadly. Severe cases of selenosis trigger episodes of attention and research in selenium. Such crises occurred in the early history of the western United States, where abundance of selenium in grazing for livestock caused such problems as ill thrift and white muscle disease.
Anthropogenic interference can also result in excessive selenium in the environment.
Kesterson Resrvoir in the San Joaquin Valley of California suffers from flooding by selenium contaminated irrigation ditch water. Coal fire power plants in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas have released toxic concentrations of selenium enriched waste into nearby lakes and reservoirs resulting in drastically reduced fish and wildfowl populations. Lake Powell, an artificial reservoir on the Colorado Plateau, is beginning to suffer from high selenium levels in its sediments. It is not only a very popular recreation area, but also hosts large populations of sport fish and waterfowl. Only a detailed research program describing a regional selenium budget can begin to answer these questions.