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How can a lake change into a marsh, pond, and eventually dry land?

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lake Lake Ann in North Cascades National Park, Washington, U.S., viewed from the park's Maple Loop Trail. The North Cascades National Park is a large wilderness area that preserves majestic mountain scenery, snowfields, glaciers, and other unique natural features.

A lake changes into a marsh, pond, and eventually dry land through a natural process of ecological succession driven primarily by sedimentation and biological enrichment.1

As a lake ages, it accumulates sediments—such as silt, clay, and organic debris—transported by rivers or generated within the lake itself. This infilling process gradually makes the lake shallower. Simultaneously, the lake often undergoes eutrophication, where an increase in nutrients promotes high biological production.1234

The progression typically follows these stages:
* Infilling: As the lake becomes shallower, the littoral zone (the near-shore area) expands toward the center of the lake.1
* Marsh Formation: As the littoral zone becomes increasingly choked with plants, it transforms into a marsh, characterized by poorly drained soils and emergent vegetation like grasses and reeds.15
* Pond Stage: The remaining open water in the center of the basin diminishes, effectively becoming a pond.1
* Dry Land: Eventually, the basin fills completely. Once the water is gone, the area can support terrestrial vegetation, potentially leading to the development of meadows or forests.16