Smith Mountain Lake Association Water Quality Monitoring Program
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Smith Mountain Lake Association Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 Report Carolyn L. Thomas and David M. Johnson Ferrum College Ferrum, Virginia 24088 In Cooperation with The Smith Mountain Lake Association Moneta, Virginia 24121 December 1995 SMLA Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 CONTENTS CONTENTS......................................................................................................................... i FIGURES...........................................................................................................................iii TABLES ............................................................................................................................ iv 1995 Officers ...................................................................................................................... v 1995 Directors..................................................................................................................... v 1995 Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Monitors............................................................... vi 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................... 1 2. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 3 3. METHODS ................................................................................................................... 6 4. RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 7 4.1 Results for Channel, Cove, and Tributary Site Samples......................................7 4.1.1 Channel Sites ...............................................................................................7 4.1.2 Cove Sites ..................................................................................................11 4.1.3 Tributary Sites............................................................................................14 4.2 Comparison of Roanoke Channel, Blackwater Channel, and Main Basin ........15 4.2.1 Roanoke Channel.......................................................................................15 4.2.2 Blackwater Channel...................................................................................18 4.2.3 Main Basin.................................................................................................22 4.3 Results for Leesville Lake .................................................................................26 5. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS..................................................................................... 27 5.1 Total Phosphorus ...............................................................................................27 5.2 Chlorophyll-a.....................................................................................................28 5.3 Secchi Depth ......................................................................................................28 5.4 Variation of Water Quality with Location.........................................................28 6. FECAL COLIFORMS IN SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE........................................... 30 7. QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE ................................................... 33 7.1 Total Phosphorus ...............................................................................................33 CONTENTS i SMLA Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 7.2 Chlorophyll-a.....................................................................................................34 7.3 Site Comparison.................................................................................................35 8. WATER QUALITY TRENDS ................................................................................... 36 9. CARLSON’S TROPHIC STATE INDEX ................................................................. 37 10. SAMPLING EFFICIENCY........................................................................................ 41 11. GIS WORK ON THE SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE WATERSHED........................ 42 12. CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY ......................................................................... 45 13. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................ 47 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 48 APPENDIX....................................................................................................................... 49 CONTENTS ii SMLA Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 FIGURES Figure 1. 1995 Data for channel samples averaged by week. .................................... 9 Figure 2. 1995 Channel sample site averages versus distance to the SML Dam..... 10 Figure 3. 1995 Data for cove sample sites averaged by week. ................................ 12 Figure 4. 1995 Cove sample averages vs. distance to the SML Dam. ..................... 13 Figure 5. 1995 Data for tributary samples averaged by week.................................. 14 Figure 6. 1995 Average total phosphorus concentration for each tributary............. 15 Figure 7. 1995 Data for Roanoke Channel sample sites averaged by week. ........... 17 Figure 8. Roanoke Channel sample site averages versus miles to SML Dam. ........ 18 Figure 9. 1995 Data for Blackwater Channel sample sites averaged by week. ....... 20 Figure 10. 1995 Blackwater Channel sample site averages versus miles to SML Dam........................................................................................................... 21 Figure 11. 1995 Data for main basin sample sites averaged by week. ...................... 23 Figure 12. 1995 Main Basin sample site averages versus miles to SML Dam. ......... 25 Figure 13. Smith Mountain Lake fecal coliform data for 1995.................................. 32 Figure 14. Graphical comparison of water quality parameters by year. .................... 36 Figure 15. Regression showing increased combined trophic state index over time. 40 FIGURES iii SMLA Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 TABLES Table 1. Summary of 1993 to 1995 results for sites below the dam. ........................ 26 Table 2. Average value of water quality parameter at different locations. ............... 29 Table 3. Summary of calibration data. ...................................................................... 34 Table 4. Summary of data for field blanks and surrogate samples. .......................... 34 Table 5. Summary of data for site comparison.......................................................... 35 Table 6. Water quality data from Smith Mountain Lake 1987-1995. ....................... 36 Table 7. Proposed relationships among phosphorus concentration, trophic state, and lake use for northern temperate lakes................................................... 37 Table 8. Trophic Status related to chlorophyll-a concentration in different studies. 38 Table 9. Trophic state index in Smith Mountain Lake by year................................. 39 Table 10. Comparison of sampling efficiencies for 1991-1995.................................. 41 Table A1. 1995 Monitors’ last name and station identification number...................... 50 Table A2. 1992 Total phosphorus data. ....................................................................... 51 Table A3. 1995 Chlorophyll-a data.............................................................................. 52 Table A3a. 1995 Chlorophyll-a data (CORRECTED). ................................................. 53 Table A4. 1995 Secchi data.......................................................................................... 54 Table A5. 1995 Bacteria (fecal coliform) data............................................................. 55 TABLES iv SMLA Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 Smith Mountain Lake Association Rt. 2, Box 13B Moneta, VA 24121 (540) 297-4146 1995 OFFICERS President Karl H. Lerz Vice President James H. Spitz Secretary Nancy L. Slusher Treasurer John F. Imrie Past President John Y. Barr 1995 DIRECTORS Katherine L. Davis Kenneth T. Davis Robert G. Halsted Ronald S. Holasek Michael H. Knapp Roy M. Parker Wilma G. Schafer Allan R. Wandelt Donald E. Ward Carl E. Whitman OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS v SMLA Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 1995 SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE VOLUNTEER MONITORS Advanced Monitors Gary & Betty Hatfield, Union Hall Chuck Franz, Union Hall Robert & Joan Ollweiler, Moneta Houston Snoody, Burnt Chimney Anne & Don Daly, Penhook Paul Dooley, Moneta Ken Dugan, Moneta Ron Coleman, Hardy Paul Dooley, Moneta Basic Monitors Len & Donna Kastner, Moneta Roger & Betty Mueller, Moneta Carl & Helen Ostertag, Huddleston Maxwell Dyett, Moneta Richard & Janet Hill, Huddleston Ron Holasek, Moneta Daphne Jamison, Wirtz Jean Beall, Huddleston Hazel & Charles Bray, Moneta Charles & Hazel Bray, Moneta Jim Murphy, Huddleston Glenn Randa, Moneta Ed Shirey, Union Hall Dan & Miriam Walthers, Hardy Ted Bogsrud, Hardy John & Shirley Barr, Hardy Al & Wilma Schafer, Huddleston Greg Ballengee, Bedford Gene McCullough, Huddleston Bert & Marian Thurman, Wirtz D. Willis Hartman, Union Hall Joseph & Mary Ann Spahr, Moneta VOLUNTEER MONITORS vi SMLA Water Quality Monitoring Program 1995 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program (SMLWQMP) is a water quality program initiated in 1987. The program is cooperatively administered by the Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) and scientists from