Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program 2016 Report Prepared by Dr. Carolyn L. Thomas, Dr. Maria A. Puccio, Dr. Delia R. Heck, Dr. David M. Johnson, Dr. Bob R. Pohlad, Ms. Carol C. Love, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Ferrum College Sponsored by The Smith Mountain Lake Association Funded by American Electric Power Bedford County Regional Water Authority Smith Mountain Lake Association Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Western Virginia Water Authority (WVWA) January 18, 2017 SMLA WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... i FIGURES ........................................................................................................................... iii TABLES ............................................................................................................................. v 2016 Officers .................................................................................................................... vii 2016 Directors ................................................................................................................... vii 2016 Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Monitors ................................................................ 1 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................... 2 1.1 Conclusions – Trophic Status ............................................................................................... 2 1.2 Conclusions – Algae in Smith Mountain Lake ..................................................................... 3 1.3 Conclusions – Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, pH and Conductivity Lake Depth Profiles .................................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Conclusions – Escherichia coli Measurements and Bacterial Source Tracking ................... 3 2. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 4 3. METHODS ................................................................................................................... 7 4. TROPHIC STATUS MONITORING ......................................................................... 10 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 10 4.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................... 10 4.3 Results ................................................................................................................................. 13 4.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 16 4.5 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 20 5. ALGAE IN SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE .................................................................. 21 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 21 5.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................... 21 5.3 Results ................................................................................................................................. 23 5.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 30 5.5 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 32 6. Dissolved oxygen (DO) profiles ................................................................................. 33 6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 33 CONTENTS i SMLA WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM 2016 6.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................... 34 6.3 Results ................................................................................................................................. 34 6.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 39 6.5 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 40 7. BACTERIA IN SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE ........................................................... 41 7.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 41 7.2 E. coli Methods ................................................................................................................... 41 7.3 E. coli Results and Discussion ............................................................................................ 43 7.4 E. coli Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 48 7.5 Bacterial Source Tracking Methods .................................................................................... 49 7.6 Bacterial Source Tracking Results and Discussion ............................................................ 49 7.7 Bacterial Source Tracking Conclusions .............................................................................. 55 8. WATER QUALITY TRENDS By Zone .................................................................... 57 8.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 57 8.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................... 57 8.3 Results ................................................................................................................................. 60 8.4 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 63 8.5 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 67 9. QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY CONTROL ................................................... 68 9.1 Calibration Data for Total Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen ................................................ 68 9.1.1 Summary of Calibration Data ..................................................................................... 68 9.2 Comparison of Standards over the Course of Analysis ...................................................... 69 9.2.1 Summary of Precision of Analysis over Analysis Time ............................................. 70 9.3 Blanks and Spiked Blanks .................................................................................................. 70 9.3.1 Summary of Blank and Spiked Blank Analysis .......................................................... 71 9.4 Duplicate and Spiked Sample Analysis for Total Phosphorus ........................................... 72 CONTENTS ii SMLA WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM 2016 9.4.1 Summary of Duplicate and Spiked Samples ............................................................... 73 9.5 Analysis of Purchased Standard .......................................................................................... 73 9.5.1 Summary of Analysis of Purchased Standard ............................................................. 74 9.6 QA/QC for Chlorophyll-a ................................................................................................... 74 9.7 QA/QC for Secchi Disk Depth ........................................................................................... 75 9.8 QA/QC for E. coli ............................................................................................................... 75 9.8.1 Summary of QA/QC for E. coli .................................................................................. 77 10. SAMPLING EFFICIENCY ........................................................................................ 78 11. CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................................... 79 12. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................ 85 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 86 APPENDIX ....................................................................................................................... 88 FIGURES Figure 4.1. Trophic status parameters (total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and Secchi depth) for Smith Mountain Lake for each sampling period in 2016. .......................... 14 Figure 4.2. Variation of trophic status parameters with distance to the dam for Smith Mountain Lake in 2016 ............................................................................................... 17 Figure 4.3. Maps showing variation in trophic status parameters across Smith Mountain Lake for 2016 ............................................................................................