Colby College Digital Commons @ Colby Colby College Watershed Study: China Lake (2005, 1989) Senior Capstone in Environmental Science 2005 A Watershed Analysis of China Lake Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College Problems in Environmental Science course (Biology 493), Colby College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/chinalake Part of the Biochemistry Commons Recommended Citation Colby Environmental Assessment Team, Colby College and Problems in Environmental Science course (Biology 493), Colby College, "A Watershed Analysis of China Lake" (2005). Colby College Watershed Study: China Lake (2005, 1989). 1. https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/chinalake/1 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Senior Capstone in Environmental Science at Digital Commons @ Colby. It has been accepted for inclusion in Colby College Watershed Study: China Lake (2005, 1989) by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Colby. A TER H D ANAL S S o C NA LA _____ 1M L1 10 S FOR WATER QUAL TY A D LAND U E MANAGEME T Table of Contents WATERSHED ASSESSMENT INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 1 GENERAL NATURE OF STUDY .......................................................................................... 5 Lake Characteristics ................................................................................................................. 7 Distinction Between Lakes and Ponds.................................................................................. 7 General Characteristics of Maine Lakes............................................................................... 7 Annual Lake Cycles..............................................................................................................8 Trophic Status of Lakes ...................................................................................................... 10 Phosphorus and Nitrogen Cycles........................................................................................ 13 Watershed Land Use .............................................................................................................. 16 Land Use Types .................................................................................................................. 16 Nutrient Loading................................................................................................................. 18 Soil Types ........................................................................................................................... 20 Zoning and Development.................................................................................................... 20 Buffer Strips........................................................................................................................ 21 Shoreline Residential Areas................................................................................................ 22 Non-shoreline Residential Areas ........................................................................................ 23 Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Systems.......................................................................... 23 Pit Privy ........................................................................................................................... 24 Holding Tank................................................................................................................... 24 Septic System .................................................................................................................. 24 Roads................................................................................................................................... 29 Agriculture and Livestock................................................................................................... 32 Forestry ............................................................................................................................... 32 Transitional Land................................................................................................................ 33 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................. 33 CHINA LAKE CHARACTERISITCS.................................................................................. 37 Watershed Description ........................................................................................................... 37 Geological and Hydrological Perspective.............................................................................. 39 Historical Perspective............................................................................................................. 39 Regional Land Use Trends.................................................................................................. 39 Water Quality...................................................................................................................... 41 Dam and Water Level ......................................................................................................... 43 Biological Perspective............................................................................................................ 44 Native Fish of China Lake .................................................................................................. 44 Fish Stocking ...................................................................................................................... 46 Native Plants of China Lake ............................................................................................... 48 Invasive Plants .................................................................................................................... 49 Algal Blooms ...................................................................................................................... 51 Economic Impact of Bloom................................................................................................ 53 Trophic Status ..................................................................................................................... 54 STUDY OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................... 57 Colby College: China Lake Report i Water Quality Assessment ..................................................................................................... 57 Land Use Assessment............................................................................................................. 57 Future Trends ......................................................................................................................... 58 Remediation Techniques........................................................................................................ 58 ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS ........................................................ 59 WATER QUALITY STUDY SITES ..................................................................................... 59 Comprehensive Sites.............................................................................................................. 61 Spot Sites................................................................................................................................ 61 Tributaries .............................................................................................................................. 62 WATER QUALITY ................................................................................................................ 63 Physical parameters................................................................................................................ 63 Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature................................................................................... 63 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 63 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 64 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................... 64 Transparency....................................................................................................................... 67 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 67 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 67 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................... 67 Turbidity ............................................................................................................................. 68 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 68 Methods ........................................................................................................................... 70 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................... 70 Color ..................................................................................................................................