This year, LEA welcomed back Catherine Wheaton from Reed College for her second season as water testing intern along with new interns Elly Burnham from Loyola University, Billy O’Connor from Villanova and Henry Baker from St. Lawrence University. Together, Catherine, Elly, Billy and Henry, with help from Ben, Maggie and Tim, collected hundreds of water samples which were analyzed for everything from basic water chemistry measures and chlorophyll concentration to more complex analyses like total phosphorus quantification.
There were multiple distinct warm spells, followed by cooler weather, throughout the summer. This resulted in a wider range of dates for peak water temperature than typically seen. About half of the monitored lakes recorded their seasonal temperature peaks in mid- to late July, while the other half saw temperature peaks in mid-August.
Across LEA’s service area, total phosphorus concentrations tended to be higher for the season. Water clarity was below average during the earlier, wetter part of the season but rebounded as the season progressed. Algal densities were highest in August, but there was a fair amount of variability in both high and low chlorophyll concentrations throughout the summer. Rain events were more frequent during the spring and early summer and contributed to reduced water clarity and higher total phosphorus concentrations earlier in the season. However, as the season progressed, the Lake Region fell into drought conditions with very little precipitation. Overall, most measurements fell within the normal range for each lake. For the majority of lakes, water clarity, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll levels remained within the same water quality classification ranges as their long-term averages.
Thanks to those who facilitate our work by providing lake access and/or boat access to LEA staff!
