Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program
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Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program SMLA Ferrum College Prepared by Dr. Carolyn L. Thomas and Dr. David M. Johnson Life Sciences Division Ferrum College Sponsored by The Smith Mountain Lake Association Funded by American Electric Power Bedford County Franklin County Pittsylvania County Tri-county Lake Administrative Commission May 2004 SMLA WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM 2003 CONTENTS CONTENTS......................................................................................................................... i FIGURES...........................................................................................................................iii TABLES ............................................................................................................................. v 2003 Officers ....................................................................................................................vii 2003 Directors...................................................................................................................vii 2003 Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Monitors.............................................................viii 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 The Conclusions.......................................................................................................1 1.2 The Facts Supporting These Conclusions................................................................1 2. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 3 3. METHODS ................................................................................................................... 6 4. RESULTS FROM TROPHIC STATUS MONITORING............................................ 8 4.1 Lake Stations............................................................................................................9 4.1.1 Variation of Trophic Parameters during the 2003 Sample Season ..................9 4.1.2 Variation of Trophic Parameters with Distance from the Dam .....................11 4.2 Tributary Stations...................................................................................................14 4.2.1 Variation of total phosphorus and nitrate during the sampling season..........14 4.2.2 Tributary Concentration of Total Phosphorus and Nitrate by Year...............16 4.2.3 Seasonal Average Nutrient Concentrations for each Tributary .....................16 4.3 Results for Sample Sites Below the Dam ..............................................................18 4.4 Summary of Section...............................................................................................19 5. BACTERIA IN SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE ........................................................... 21 5.1 Fecal Coliform Monitoring....................................................................................21 5.1.1 Results............................................................................................................23 5.2 Escherichia coli Monitoring...................................................................................27 5.2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................27 5.2.2 Methods..........................................................................................................28 CONTENTS i SMLA WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM 2003 5.2.3 Results............................................................................................................28 5.3 Optical Brightener Method Evaluation..................................................................31 5.4 Bacterial Source Tracking......................................................................................32 5.4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................32 5.4.2 Sample Sites...................................................................................................33 5.4.3 Results............................................................................................................33 6. WATER QUALITY TRENDS................................................................................... 38 6.1 Water Quality Trends by Zone ..............................................................................38 6.2 Carlson’s Trophic State Index ...............................................................................48 7. QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE ................................................... 55 8. SAMPLING EFFICIENCY........................................................................................ 56 9. CONCLUSIONS......................................................................................................... 57 10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................ 60 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 61 APPENDIX....................................................................................................................... 62 CONTENTS ii SMLA WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM 2003 FIGURES Figure 1. Average total phosphorus concentration for each sampling week in 2003........................................................................................................... 10 Figure 2. Average nitrate concentration for each sampling week in 2003............... 10 Figure 3. Average chlorophyll-a concentration for each sampling week in 2003. .. 11 Figure 4. Average Secchi depth for each sampling week in 2003. .......................... 11 Figure 5. Variation of total phosphorus concentration with distance from the dam............................................................................................................ 13 Figure 6. Variation of nitrate concentration with distance from dam. ..................... 13 Figure 7. Variation of chlorophyll-a concentration with distance from the dam..... 14 Figure 8. Variation of Secchi depth with distance from the dam............................. 14 Figure 9. Average total phosphorus concentration at tributary stations per week. .. 15 Figure 10. Average nitrate concentration at tributary stations per week.................... 16 Figure 11. Seasonal average total phosphorus concentration for each tributary........ 17 Figure 12. Seasonal average nitrate concentration for each tributary. ....................... 18 Figure 13. Fecal coliforms vs. week sampled on Smith Mountain Lake in 2003...... 24 Figure 14. Mean fecal coliform count vs. site type on Smith Mountain Lake 2003 (7 marina sites, 5 non-marina sites, and 2 headwater sites)...................... 24 Figure 15. Mean fecal coliform count vs. sample site on Smith Mountain Lake 2003........................................................................................................... 25 Figure 16. Sum of fecal coliform counts for Smith Mountain Lake in 2003 at each site for all sample dates............................................................................. 25 Figure 17. Mean fecal coliform counts per site type and year sampled for Smith Mountain Lake.......................................................................................... 27 Figure 18. Total coliform and Escherichia coli colonies per site sampled at Smith Mountain Lake in 2003 using the Coliblue™ method for the August 6th sample date................................................................................................ 30 Figure 19. Escherichia coli average colonies per site sampled at Smith Mountain Lake in 2003 using the Coliblue™ method. ............................................. 30 Figure 20. Percent of Escherichia coli colonies per total coliforms per site sampled at Smith Mountain Lake in 2003 using the Coliblue™ method. 31 Figure 21. Percent of Escherichia coli colonies per fecal coliform colony per site sampled at Smith Mountain Lake in 2003 using the Biolog™ method.... 31 Figure 22. Percent of bacteria isolates from four potential sources in Franklin County tributaries in 2003 ........................................................................ 36 FIGURES iii SMLA WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM 2003 Figure 23. Percent of bacteria isolates from four potential sources in Bedford County tributaries...................................................................................... 36 Figure 24. Percent of bacteria isolates from four potential sources in Pittsylvania County....................................................................................................... 37 Figure 25. Percent of bacteria isolates from four potential sources from all sample sites in 2003. ............................................................................................. 37 Figure 26. Average annual total phosphorus concentration by year and zone in Smith Mountain Lake. .............................................................................. 40 Figure 26. Average annual total phosphorus concentration by year and zone in Smith Mountain Lake (cont.).................................................................... 41 Figure 27. Average annual chlorophyll-a concentration by year and zone in Smith Mountain Lake.......................................................................................... 42 Figure 27. Average annual chlorophyll-a concentration