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Long-Term Volunteer Lake Monitoring in the Upper Woonasquatucket Watershed Linda Green URI Watershed Watch 401-874-2905, lgreen@uri.edu
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WATER QUALITY IS A REFLECTION OF THE ACTIVITIES IN THE LANDS AND WATERS SURROUNDING AND LYING UPSTREAM OF ANY LOCATION
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WATER QUALITY IS ALSO A REFLECTION OF in-water processes: biology, chemistry, physics of the waterbody itself
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Watershed: The area of land that drains to the outlet of a lake, stream or other waterbody
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Limnology: Scientific study of freshwater ecosystems lakes, ponds, reservoirs, streams Goal: Improve understanding of the physical, biological, chemical, and geological factors affecting these ecosystems
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URI Watershed Watch: An Ecological Monitoring Program Ecological Monitoring = Repeated measurements over time to note a condition or track a trend
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URI Watershed Watch: Essential Ingredients science-based locally driven involve the public educational, not regulatory provide good, useful information stable funding
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Woonasquatucket Lakes Georgiaville Pond - 238 Hawkins Reservoir - 90 Slack’s Reservoir - 309 Waterman Lake - 386 Woon. Res. – Stump Pond - 353
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Education / Awareness Assess Impairment Legal & Regulatory Increasing Time - Rigor - QA - Expense $$ The Continuum of Volunteer Monitoring Data Use URIWW has EPA-approved QAPP’s & is a RI Dept of Health certified laboratory
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We measure: – Secchi Depth – Chlorophyll – Phosphorus & nitrogen – Dissolved oxygen – Bacteria To indicate: – Water clarity – Algae – Nutrient levels – Aquatic health –Safe for recreation
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Monitoring Equipment & Supplies
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Monitoring Supplies Secchi Disk and View Tube (not for rivers) Postcards (on-line data entry coming soon!) Deep or Shallow Sampler Sample Bottles Chlorophyll Supplies kits Thermometer Dissolved Oxygen Kit Salinity Kit
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Three Tiers of Monitoring Weekly - water clarity (lakes and ponds) Biweekly –water temperature –chlorophyll (algae) –dissolved oxygen –salinity
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Three Tiers of Monitoring Water Collection Days Monthly- rivers, salty sites May, July, Oct – lakes and ponds A suite of water samples collected and brought to WW lab for lab analysis of –Acidity level –nutrients –bacteria
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The ultimate goal is to ensure that good quality data is collected by satisfied, well trained volunteers and is used!
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Rainfall Amount Distribution
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Water Lakes slow the flow of water Lake water quality reflects the history of the water Particulate matter Soluble materials
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Residence Time: Residence Time: Amount of time water spends in the lake between inflow and outflow < 10 days algae flushed out 10-100 days nutrients collect, algae use nutrients and multiply >100 days amount of algae limited by amount of nutrients
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Accumulation l Nutrients l Sediment l Organic Material
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Eutrophication Time
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Particulates Runoff from storms sediments organic matter
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Discharge to waterways… nutrients, pesticides, adsorbed to above
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Bacterial contamination Airborne particulates dust pollen
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Soluble Materials Dissolved plant nutrients, particularly P and N Agricultural crops Lawn and garden fertilizers
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Wastewater discharges
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Stages of Lake Aging Oligotrophy Clear Water Nutrient Poor Sandy or rocky bottom Inorganic sediments Mesotrophy Average nutrient levels Some organic sediments Eutrophy Nutrient Rich Algal blooms or dense aquatic plant growth Basin filling with organic sediments
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A Delicate Balance
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Woonasquatucket Lakes Georgiaville Pond Hawkins Reservoir Slack’s Reservoir Waterman Lake Woonasquatucket Res. – Stump Pond
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Bacteria Results
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Georgiaville Pond
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Dissolved Oxygen Necessary for fish and aquatic animals Prevents re-suspension of trapped nutrients Content controlled by water temperature and sediment biomass
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Lake Stratification
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Dissolved Oxygen
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Alternate Shallow Lake Stable States
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Hawkins Pond
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Slack’s Reservoir
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Waterman Lake
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Stump Pond (Woon. Res.)
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Stump Pond
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The bottom line… All the data is invaluable The data point to water quality as stable or slightly improving This is GREAT NEWS!
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Thank You!
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