WATERSHEDS Concepts and Curriculum

Review

LAKE MONITORING AND ANALYSISTony Thorpe and Dan Obrecht

Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program – Univ. of Missouri

Talk Topics

• Pollutants and Sources• Lake Ecology• Trends and Variability• Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program

Pollutants and Sources

Most Common Pollutants

• Nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen)

• Metals (mercury)

• Suspended Sediment (soil materials)

Leading Sources

• Agriculture• Municipal Point Sources• Urban Runoff

NRCS photo

NRCS photo

NRCS photo

Leading Sources

• Agriculture• Municipal Point Sources• Urban Runoff

Photo vault

Leading Sources

• Agriculture• Municipal Point Sources• Urban Runoff

NRCS photo

Lake Ecology

Nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen

101 1023 4 5 6 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 3 4 5

Phosphorus (ug/L)

100

101

102

6

23457

23457

2345

Alg

al B

iom

ass

(Chl

ug/

L)

10-1.0 100.02 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 3

Nitrogen (mg/L)

100

101

102

6

23457

23457

2345

Alg

al B

iom

ass

(Chl

ug/

L)

Other sources of nutrients

• Fertilizers from yards, golf courses, etc.• Seepage from failing septic systems• Pet waste• Erosion

Impacts of Excessive Algae

• Reduced aesthetics• Decreased recreational value• Increased treatment cost• Taste and odor problems• Impacts of dissolved oxygen in lake• Reduced water clarity

Lake Ecology

Suspended Sediment

NRCS photo

Other sources of suspended sediments

• Erosion from construction sites• Gully and stream erosion• Shoreline erosion

Impacts of suspended sediment

• Reduced aesthetics• Fill in lake bottom• Reduce substrate habitat• Increased treatment cost• Reduced water clarity

Secchi Disk

10-1.0 100.0 101.02 3 4 5 6 7 2 3 4 5 6 7 2 3 4 5

Suspended Solids (mg/L)

10-1.0

100.0

2

3

45678

2

3

456

Secc

hi (m

eter

s)

100 101 10267 2 3 4 5 67 2 3 4 5 67 2 3 4 5

Algal Biomass (Chl ug/L)

10-1.0

100.0

2

345678

2

3456

Secc

hi (m

eter

s)

Human activity in watershed

Nutrients Sediment

Algae

Reduced water clarity

Decreased water quality

Trends and Variability

Glacial Plains

Osage Plains

Ozark Border

Ozark Highlands Mississippi Lowlands

Average values for physiographic region

Region Sediment Phosphorus (mg/L) (ug/L)

Glacial Plains 6.8 44 Osage Plains 16.5 73 Ozark Border 4.5 40 Ozark Highlands 2.1 17

7

20

55

148

Tota

l Pho

spho

rus

(g/

L)

Medium

Amount of Row Crop in the Watershed

Low High

Missouri Lakes

Row Crop vs Phosphorus

7

20

55

148

Tota

l Pho

spho

rus

(g/

L)

Medium

Amount of Forest in the Watershed

Low High

Missouri Lakes

Forest vs Phosphorus

100

300

500

700

900

1100

Tota

l Nitr

ogen

(

g/L)

Phos

phor

us a

nd

Chl

orop

hyll

(

g/L)

PhosphorusChlorophyllNitrogen

0

20

40

60

JuneMay July August September

Longview Lake – Seasonal Pattern

LAKES OF MISSOURI VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Program Goals

Determine current water quality of Missouri lakes.

Monitor for changes over time.

Educate the public about water quality and lake ecology.

Parameters Monitored

• Secchi Transparency• Phosphorus and Nitrogen• Algal Chlorophyll• Suspended Sediments

How the Program Works

• Volunteers are provided with equipment and training

• They collect 8 samples between April and September.

• Process samples at home.• LMVP staff pick-up frozen samples and

analyze at University.• Data are given to MoDNR and used to

produce annual report.