Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 4-1975 Limnological Investigation of the Muskegon County, Michigan, Wastewater Storage Lagoons W. Randolph Frykberg Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons Recommended Citation Frykberg, W. Randolph, "Limnological Investigation of the Muskegon County, Michigan, Wastewater Storage Lagoons" (1975). Master's Theses. 2405. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/2405 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LIMNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE MUSKEGON COUNTY, MICHIGAN, WASTEWATER STORAGE LAGOONS by W. Randolph Frykberg A Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of th e Specialist in Arts Degree Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan A pril 1975 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express his appreciation to Drs. Clarence J. Goodnight, Joseph G. Sngemann and Richard W. Pippen for their advice encouragement, and assistance during this project. My thanks also go to Dr. Peter G. Meier of the University of Michigan, who acted as a consultant; Frank D. Ballo and Roderick J. Morrison, for their assis­ tance in the laboratory; the Rollins family, for the use of their f a c i l i t i e s ; R ichard Wember, of th e Muskegon Wastewater Management P ro je c t, who helped in th e c o lle c tio n of sam ples; Tim Westman and th e rest of the staff at the Wastewater Management Project for their assis­ tance in the physical-chemical aspects of this study and for providing some of the facilities. The partial financial support of this study by the Environmental Protection Agency is acknowledged with sincere.thanks A special note of appreciation is extended to my lovely wife, Diane, whose patience, understanding, and typing ability have made this report possible. I dedicate this work to her. W. Randolph Frykberg 1 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. MASTERS THESIS M-7063 FRYKBERG, W. Randolph LIMNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE MUSKEGON COUNTY, MICHIGAN, WASTEWATER STORAGE LAGOONS. Western Michigan University, Sp.A., 1975 Limnology Xerox University Microfilmst Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PLEASE NOTE: Pages 168 and 177 are not available for photography. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 1 H is to ry . .................................................................... 1 The Muskegon System . ............................................. 5 METHODS.................................................................................................. 9 Biological Analyses .............................................. 10 Benthos..... ............................................ 10 Zooplankton ............................................ 12 Phytoplankton and Protozoa ...................................... 13 Primary Productivity ................................................... 15 Chlorophyll a and Phaeophytin. ..................................... 16 Physical Analyses ............................................................. 16 Temperature........ ............................ 16 T u rb id ity ..................................................................................... 16 Secchi Disk Transparency ..................................... 18 pH.................................................................. 18 Conductivity. ................................................................ 18 D issolved Oxygen and Biochemical Oxygen Demand. ................................................. 18 Nutrients ....................................................... 19 Nitrate Nitrogen.... ................................................. 19 Ammonia N itrogen ...................................................................... 20 i i i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. 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TABLE OF CONTENTS - CONTINUED PAGE Orthophosphate ..................................... 20 Anions ......................................................... 20 S u lfa te ..................................................................................... 20 C hlorides ............................... 20 Total Organic Carbon. ................. 21 M etals.................................... ................ .................. ............ .. 21 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.............................................................. 22 Gate Operating Positions and R esu itin g W astewater Flow P a t t e r n s ......................... 22 Biological Parameters ............................................................ 22 Benthos ..................................................................................... 22 Zooplankton. ............................................... 3^ Phytoplankton and Protozoa ....................... 51 Chlorophyll a ........................... 77 Primary Productivity. ................. 80 Physical Parameters. ................. 83 T u rb id ity ....................... 83 Secchi Disk Transparency ................................................. 87 pH. ............ ................................................. ....... 88 Conductivity .......................................................................... 88 Temperature ......................... 88 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. 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TABLE OF CONTENTS - CONTINUED PAGE Dissolved Oxygen and Biochemical Oxygen Demand ......................................................... - ............ 88 Dissolved Oxygen .................................................... 88 Biocv>~mical Oxygen Demand .................................................... 92 Total Organic Carbon. ........................ 97 Nutrients, Anions, and Metals .......................................... 97 Ammonia N itrogen .................................................... 97 Nitrate Nitrogen .............................................. 98 Orthophosphate. ........................................................... 99 S u lf a te . ............................................................................ 99 C hloride .................................. 99 M etals............................................................................................ 100 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS................................................................ 102 REFERENCES............................................................................................ 105 APPENDIX A, BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE DATA ........................................................ 110 APPENDIX B, ZOOPLANKTON DATA...................................................... 116 APPENDIX C, PHYTOPLANKTON AND HOTOZOAN DATA......................................................................