A Summary of Results of the 1997-2001
Kings County Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program
Summary
The Kings County Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program has now completed five years of data collection. This report provides a brief summary, largely in graphical form, of the results to date.
In general, there appears to have been little change in water quality during 2001 relative to other years. Total phosphorous levels remained in the 10-15 lg/l range and chlorophyll a values were generally below 4 lg/l (see page 4). The only obvious atypical event was a single high (> 30 lg/l) total phosphorous concentration at Lumsden Pond during September (see page 20). This may be due to the unusual temperature stratification characteristics of this lake during 2001.
During 2001, temperature data loggers were installed at the surface and bottom of Hardwood Lake, Lake George, Aylesford Lake, Black River Lake and Lumsden Pond. All of these systems exhibited a greater degree of thermal stratification during 2001 than in either 1999 or 2000 (see pages 3-5). The high total phosphorous concentration at Lumsden Pond occurred in September as the lake began to destratify, suggesting that it is a result of the transport of phosphorous from the bottom to the upper water column.
An interesting characteristic of the temperature record for Lumsden Pond is that is shows a cooling of the bottom water during summer, which could only occur if there were a cold-water input to the system, either from stream inflows or springs. If these inputs also contained high levels of phosphorous, it could explain the high phosphorous levels observed when Lumsden Pond destratified. If this is the case, this event indicates the importance of the relationship between water quality and the physical characteristics of the lakes being monitored, especially with respect to stratification characteristics and the various processes, both natural and man-induced, that influence lake stratification.
There are numerous inputs to Lumsden Pond, and it would be worthwhile to review existing data on the temperature and phosphorous concentrations of these inputs.