WATERSHEDS Concepts and Curriculum Review

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WATERSHEDS Concepts and Curriculum Review

• LAKE MONITORING AND ANALYSIS
• Tony Thorpe and Dan Obrecht
• Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program Univ. of
  Missouri

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Talk Topics

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

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Pollutants and Sources
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Most Common Pollutants

• Nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen)
• Metals (mercury)
• Suspended Sediment (soil materials)

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Leading Sources

• Agriculture
• Municipal Point Sources
• Urban Runoff

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NRCS photo
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NRCS photo
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NRCS photo
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Leading Sources

• Agriculture
• Municipal Point Sources
• Urban Runoff

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Photo vault
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Leading Sources

• Agriculture
• Municipal Point Sources
• Urban Runoff

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NRCS photo
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Lake Ecology
Nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen
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Other sources of nutrients

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

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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

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Lake Ecology
Suspended Sediment
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NRCS photo
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Other sources of suspended sediments

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

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Impacts of suspended sediment

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

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Secchi Disk
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Human activity in watershed
Nutrients
Sediment
Algae
Reduced water clarity
Decreased water quality
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Trends and Variability
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Glacial Plains
Ozark Border
Osage Plains
Mississippi Lowlands
Ozark Highlands
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Average values for physiographic region

• Region Sediment Phosphorus
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  (mg/L) (ug/L)
• Glacial Plains 6.8
  44 Osage Plains 16.5
  73 Ozark Border
  4.5 40
  Ozark Highlands 2.1 17
  

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Missouri Lakes Row Crop vs Phosphorus
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Missouri Lakes Forest vs Phosphorus
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Longview Lake Seasonal Pattern
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LAKES OF MISSOURI VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
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Program Goals

• Determine current water quality of Missouri
  lakes.
• Monitor for changes over time.
• Educate the public about water quality and lake
  ecology.

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Parameters Monitored

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

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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.