Late Summer and Last Water Quality Report for 2022
Our latest water quality numbers are in and the environmental committee has decided to save some association money and just do E.coli testing for our Fall sampling. E.coli seems to be our biggest concern. Our late summer water quality readings showed normal ranges in all areas but E. coli at the Grass Lake Road sampling area. In addition to the collection for water quality reports, we also participate in the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program. We’ll share our 2022 Secchi Disk transparency, Chlorophyll-a, and Phosphorus measurements for Spring and Summer results in early Spring of 2023. Thank you to or volunteers who helped collect and transport samples. Thank you to Sandhill Environmental for providing professional testing. Lastly, thank you to all the residents who donated to help fund the ongoing monitoring of our lakes. Multiple years of data will help us track any undesirable trends.
pH is an indication of our lake's acid level. Neutral water, like distilled water, has a 7 pH level. Any measurement below 7 is considered acidic. Low pH levels affect fish spawning to the point of extinction. For humans, low pH levels increase the concentration of heavy metals like aluminum, zinc, and mercury.
When there are high E. coli counts there are three indicators in a lake to consider rain, large presence of waterfowl, and many people. Rain produces ground water that runs into the lake and carries with it E. coli. Bird feces contribute disease causing bacteria to the water. And, beach areas with many people swimming tend to have higher levels of E. coli.
Dissolved Oxygen Oxygen (O2) is undoubtedly the most important of the gases, since most aquatic organisms need it to survive. The solubility of oxygen and other gases depends on water temperature. The colder the water, the more gases it can hold. Boiling water removes all gases. Oxygen is produced whenever green plants grow. Plants use carbon dioxide and water to produce simple sugars and oxygen, using sunlight as the energy source.
Phosphorus promotes excessive aquatic plant growth. Phosphorus originates from a variety of sources, many of which are related to human activities. Major sources include human and animal wastes, soil erosion, detergents, septic systems and runoff from farmlands or lawns.
The Total Suspended Solids numbers relate to water clarity, especially the amount of algae present.
Nitrogen is second only to phosphorus as an important nutrient for plant and algae growth. Precipitation is usually the main nitrogen source for seepage and some drainage lakes. In most cases, however, the amount of nitrogen in lake water corresponds to local land use. Nitrogen may come from fertilizer and animal wastes on agricultural lands, human waste from sewage treatment plants or septic systems, and lawn fertilizers used on lakeshore property. Nitrogen may enter a lake from surface runoff or groundwater sources.
