905R83104
Clear Technical Report No. 279
ifi^im9^':'' Lake Erie Water
Quality 1970-1982 Management Assessment
Prepared by
Charles E. Herdendorf
Lake Erie Technical Assessment Team
Prepared for
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Region V - Chicago, Illinois
Project Officer David C. Rockwell
Grant No. R005516001
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
The Ohio State University
Center for Lake Erie Area Resea
Columbus, Ohio
June 1983 *
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PREFACE
take Erie has experienced several decades of accelerated eutrophication and
toxic ^substances contamination. During the latter part of the 1960s remedial actions
were fanned and by the latter part of the 1970s, many of the plans were at least
partially implemented. The first signs of lake recovery are now being observed
through comprehensive monitoring programs. The intent of this report is to highlight
the findings and conclusions of the 1978-1979 Lake Erie Intensive Study by placing
them in perspective with earlier investigations and subsequent monitoring data from
1980 to 1982, where available. The primary purpose of this report is to provide
management information in the form of a review of the lake's status and its trends and
in the form of recommendations to ensure continued improvements in the quality of its
waters and biota. For more detailed discussions of the methods, quality assurance
procedures, and results of the study, the reader is referred to the final project report
of the Lake Erie Technical Team, "Lake Erie Intensive Study 1978-1979 Final
Report," edited by David E. Rathke.
I would like to acknowledge the excellent cooperation of the many investigators
who participated in the Lake Erie Intensive Study and thank them for their
contributions in the form of reports, data and helpful suggestions. I am particularly
grateful for the assistance of Laura Fay, David Rathke, Gary Arico, Yu-Chang Wu,
Cyndi Busic and Ginger-lyn Summer in the preparation of this report.
Charles E. Herdendorf, Chairman
Lake Erie Technical Assessment Team
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prgface - i
Introduction 1
Physical Characteristics of Lake Erie 3
Basin Descriptions 3
Western Basin 3
Central Basin 7
Eastern Basin 7
Hydrology 8
Circulation 9
Lake Erie Intensive Study 11
Organization of Data Collection and Analysis 11
Technical Assessment Team Participants 24
Study Limitations 25
Implementation of Study Plan 25
Data Gaps 26
Data Compatability 27
Conclusions 28
Lake Enrichment 28
Lake Levels 28
Thermal Structure 29
Dissolved Oxygen M
Clarity 50
Dissolved Substances 56
Nutrients 61
Chlorophyll and Algal Biomass 82
;- Open Lake and Nearshore Trends 93
-T Toxic Substances -.- 96
t' Public Health >: 100
Land Use Activities ~_ 102
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- Lake Response to Remedial Actions -1-
=-- Nature of Remedial Actions - 105
Positive Responses 106
Lake Levels 107
Dissolved Substances 107
Phosphorus Loading 107
Phosphorus Concentrations 108
Hypolimnion Oxygen 108
Toxic Metals and Organic Compounds 109
Algal Density and Composition 109
Benthic Communities 110
Fishery 111
Bathing Beaches 111
Continuing and Emerging Problems 111
Recommendations 117
Surveillance 117
Remedial Actions 119
Evaluation 119
Special Studies 120
References 121
Appendix
A. Lake Erie Intensive Study Reports Prepared by the Lake Erie
Assessment Team 125
B. Lake Erie Intensive Study Reports Contributed to the Lake Erie
Technical Assessment Team 127
"-- C. Reports Received by the Lake Erie Technical Assessment Tearrt
-- %,-
As Source Documents for the Management Report > 133
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LIST OF FIGURES
Page
\r Lake Erie Bathymetry (Depth in Meters) -; 4
27. Lake Erie Nearshore Reaches and Main Lake Basins 5
3. Lake Erie Intensive Study Station Plan 21
4. Lake Erie Intensive Study Cruise Schedule 22
5. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Thickness Central Basin 33
6. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Temperature -- Central Basin 38
7. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Dissolved Oxygen Central Basin 39
8. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Mean Annual Trends in Thickness and
Area for Central Basin (1970-1982) 40
9. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Mean Annual Trends in Temperature
and Dissolved Oxygen for Central Basin (1970-1982) 41
10. Lake Erie Thermal Structure Mean Annual Trend in Limnion
Thicknesses for Central Basin (1970-1982) 43
11. Distribution of Dissolved Oxygen in Lake Erie Central
Basin Hypolimnion (1981) 45
12. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Oxygen Demand Central Basin 49
13. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Oxygen Demand Seasonal Depletion
Rates for Central Basin (1970-1982) 51
14. Distribution of Anoxia in Lake Erie (1930-1982) 52
15. Lake Erie Hypolimnion Area of Anoxia for Central Basin
(1930-1982) 54
16. Lake Erie Summer Secchi Disk Transparency Western Basin 57
17. Lake Erie Summer Secchi Disk Transparency Central Basin 58
18. Lake Erie Specific Conductance Central Basin 59
19. Distribution of Major Dissolved Solids in Lake Erie 60
20, Trends in Lake Erie Specific Conductance and Chloride
;." Concentration Central Basin 62
2L»- Lake Erie Total Phosphorus Concentration Western Basin V 64
22. Lake Erie Total Phosphorus Concentration Central Basin 5 65
23. Lake Erie Total Phosphorus Concentration Eastern Basin ;- 66
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Paee
24? Distribution Total Phosphorus in Lake Erie Western Basin _ 68
25C Distribution Total Phosphorus in Lake Erie Central and ':
'-_ Eastern Basins 69
26. Mean Nearshore Concentration of Phosphorus in Lake Erie
(1978-1979) 72
27. Comparison of Total Phosphorus Loading Estimates to Lake Erie 73
28. Comparison of Detroit River Total Phosphorus Loading
Estimates to Lake Erie 74
29. Lake Erie Total Phosphorus Concentration Early Summer
Epilimnion for Central Basin 75
30. Phosphorus Quantities in Lake Erie Central Basin 76
31. Lake Erie Total Phosphorus Concentration Western
Basin Ontario Nearshore Trend 77
32. Lake Erie Nitrate + Nitrite Concentration Western Basin 80
33. Lake Erie Nitrate + Nitrite Concentration Central Basin 81
34. Lake Erie Chlorophyll a Concentration -- Western Basin 84
35. Lake Erie Chlorophyll a Concentration Central Basin 85
36. Lake Erie Chlorophyll a Concentration Eastern Basin 86
37. Distribution of Chlorophyll a in Lake Erie Western Basin 87
38. Distribution of Chlorophyll a in Lake Erie Central and
Eastern Basins 88
39. Mean Nearshore Concentration of Chlorophyll a in Lake Erie
(1978-1979) 90
40. Chlorophyll a Quantities in Lake Erie Central Basin 91
41. Comparison of Mercury Concentration in Lake Erie Sediments
for 1970 and 1979 97
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LIST OF TABLES
k_ Morphometry of Lake Erie Basins ' 6
i^ Organizations Participating inthe Lake Erie Intensive Study 12
3. Major Components of the Lake Erie Intensive Study 16
4. Parameters Measured for the Lake Erie Intensive Study 19
5. Lake Erie Central Basin Thermal Structure 30
6. Lake Erie Central Basin Hypolimnion Area 31
7. Lake Erie Central Basin Hypolimnion Thickness, Temperature
and Dissolved Oxygen 34
8. Lake Erie Central Basin Hypolimnion Characteristics 35
9. Annual Mean Trends in Lake Erie Central Basin Hypolimnion
Characteristics (1970-1982) 37
10. Lake Erie Central Basin Hypolimnetic Oxygen Demand 47
11. Trends in Net Oxygen Demand of the Central and Eastern
Basin Hypolimnions of Lake Erie (1930-1982) 48
12. Estimated Area of the Anoxic Hypolimnion of the Central
Basin of Lake Erie (1930-1982) 53
13. Lake Erie Summer Secchi Disk Transparency 55
14. Lake Erie Total Phosphorus Concentrations 63
15. Estimates of Total Phosphorus Loading to Lake Erie 70
16. Lake Erie Nitrate + Nitrite Concentrations 79
17. Lake Erie Chlorophyll a Concentrations 83
18. Violations of Lake Erie Water Quality Objectives 113
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INTRODUCTION
r Lake Erie, as one of the Great Lakes of North America, represents a significant
source of fresh surface water for the people of Canada and the United States. In
recognition of the importance of this resource and the need to restore and maintain its
water quality, the Canadian and United States governments entered into the Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972. The Agreement was reaffirmed in 1978 and
stipulated further actions to enhance water quality in the Great Lakes Basin
ecosystem.
Both governments mandated the International 3oint Commission (DC) for the
task of coordinating the implementation of the Agreement. Recognizing the need for
a uniform surveillance effort by both parties of the agreements and the cooperating
state and provincial jurisdictions, the IJC formed and directed the Water Quality
Board to develop an international surveillance plan. Work groups were established for
each lake, with the responsibility for developing detailed plans.
The Lake Erie Work Group prepared a nine-year surveillance plan in 1977, which
was designed to provide an understanding of the overall, long-range responses of the
lake to pollution abatement efforts. This plan was eventually incorporated as part of
the Great Lakes International Surveillance Plan (GLISP) developed by the Surveillance
Subcommittee of the Water Quality Board. The general objectives established for this
plan included:
1. To search for, monitor, and quantify violations of the existing Agreement
objectives (general and specific), the I3C recommended objectives, and
-'- jurisdictional standards, criteria and objectives. Quantification will be in
j- terms of severity, areal or volume extent, frequency, and duration, and will
~^~ include sources. V
2. To monitor local and whole lake response to abatement measures and to
identify emerging problems.
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3. To determine the cause-effect relationship between water quality and inputs
in order to develop appropriate remedial/preventative ^actions and
predictions of the rate and extent of local/whole lake 'responses to
r~ alternative abatement proposals. ~-
Within the context of these general objectives and considering the key issues specific
to Lake Erie, the surveillance plan for Lake Erie additionally focused on:
1. Determining the long-term trophic state of the lake and to what degree
remedial measures have affected improvements.
2. Assessing the presence, distribution, and impact of toxic substances.
3. Providing information to indicate the requirements for and direction of
additional remedial programs, if necessary, to protect water uses.
The Lake Erie plan called for a two-year Intensive Study of main lake, nearshore
and tributary conditions (1978 and 1979), followed by seven years of main lake
monitoring (1980-1986), and then a repeat of the nine-year cycle. The overall
objective of the Intensive Study was to provide information for a detailed assessment
of inputs to the lake and the current condition of the lake. The intensive study was
also designed to identify emerging problem areas, to detect changes in water quality
on a broad geographic basis, and to provide information necessary for trend analyses.
The study plan considered the seasonal nature of tributary inputs, lake circulation
patterns, and nearshore-offshore gradients. The plan stressed linkages between the
various components of the study in order to permit an adequate "whole lake" water
quality assessment.
-'- The following report highlights the findings and conclusions of the 1978-1979
Intensive Study. These results are placed in perspective with earlier investigations,
particularly those since Project Hypo in 1970, and subsequent monitoring programs
through 1982. "5
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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LAKE ERIE
Basin Descriptions ":
Lake Erie is one of the largest lakes in the world, ranking thirteenth by area and
eighteenth by volume (Herdendorf 1982). It is the southernmost of the Laurentian
Great Lakes, lying between 41°21'N and 42°50'N latitude and 7S°50'W and 83°30'W
longitude. The lake is narrow and relatively shallow for a lake^its size (Figure 1), with
its longitudinal axis oriented east-northeast. Lake Erie is approximately 388 km long
and 92 km wide, with a mean depth of 19 m and a maximum sounding of 64 m. The
2 3
lake has a surface area of 25,657 km , a volume of 484 km , a shoreline length of
1,380 km, and a surface elevation of 174 m above mean sea level.
Lake Erie can be naturally divided, on the basis of bathymetry, into three basins:
western, central and eastern (Figure 2). The major morphometric dimensions of each
basin and the entire lake are given in Table 1.
Western Basin. The western basin, lying west of a line from the tip of Pelee
Point, Ontario, to Cedar Point, Ohio, is the smallest and the shallowest with most of
the bottom at depths between 7 and 10 meters. In contrast with the other two basins,
a number of bedrock islands and shoals are situated in the western basin and form a
partial divide between it and the central basin. Topographically, the bottom is
monotonously flat, except for the sharply rising islands and shoals in the central and
eastern parts. The maximum depths in the basin are found in the interisland channels.
The deepest sounding, 19 meters, was made in a small depression north of Starve Island
Reef; south of Gull Island Shoal, in another depression, a depth of 16 meters has been
recorded. Elsewhere in the basin these depths are not approached.
:1 The waters of the western basin are more turbid than the other basins because of
large sediment loads from the Detroit, Maumee and Portage rivers, wav? resuspension
of silts and clays from the bottom, and high algal productivity. The ^Detroit River
accounts for over 90 percent of the flow of water into Lake Erie Snd therefore
controls the circulation patterns in the western part of the basinT Its inflow
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TABLE 1
MORPHOMETRY OF LAKE ERIE BASINS
Dimension
Maximum Length (km)
Maximum Breadth (km)
Maximum Depth (m)
Mean Depth (m)
Area (km2) 3
q
Volume (km )
Shoreline Length (km)
Percent of Area (%}
Percent of Volume (%)
Percent of Shoreline (%}
Development of Volume (ratio)
Development of Shoreline (ratio)
Water Storage Capacity (days)
2
Drainage Basin Land (km )
Mean Elevation (m)
Highest Monthly Mean Elevation (m)
Lowest Monthly Mean Elevation (m)
Mean Outflow (m/sec)
Highest Mean Monthly Outflow (m/sec)
Lowest Mean Monthly Outflow (m/sec)
Western
Basin
80
64
18.9
7.4
,284 16
25
438
12.8
5.1
31.7
1.2
2.3
51
--
--
Central
Basin
212
92
25.6
18.5
,138
305
512
62.9
63.0
37.1
2.2
1.3
635
--
--
--
Eastern
Basin
186
76
64.0
24.4
6,235
154
430
24.3
31.9
31.2
1.1
1.7
322
--
--
Entire
Lake
388
92
64.0
18.5
25,657
484
1,380
100
100
100
0.9
2.1
1,008
58,800
173.86
174.58
172.97
5,730
7,190
3,280
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penetrates far southward into the basin, retarding the dispersion of the sediment-laden
Maumee River and the Michigan shore streams which results in high concentrations of
contaminants along the western shore. ~-
-' The water of the western basin is normally isothermal from top to; bottom. Its
shSllowness precludes the formation of a permanent thermocline except in the deep
holes. Occasionally during calm periods in the summer, the water stratifies thermally
leading to rapid oxygen depletion near the lake bottom.
Central Basin. The central basin is divided from the western basin by the island
chain and from the eastern basin by a relatively shallow sand and gravel bar between
Erie, Pennsylania, and Long Point, Ontario. The central basin has an average depth of
19 meters and a maximum depth of 26 meters. Except for the rising slopes of a
morainic bar extending south-southeastward from Pelee Point, Ontario, the bottom of
the central basin is extremely flat. This bar forms a depression in the bottom between
it and the islands, known as the Sandusky sub-basin (Figure 2). This sub-basin has an
2
area of approximately 1,350 km and a maximum depth of 16 m.
Although the central basin receives over 95 percent of its inflow from the
western basin, the water is considerably less turbid and less biologically productive.
Drainage from the western basin and inflow from the Sandusky River and other Ohio
tributaries are concentrated in the Sandusky sub-basin and along the south shore where
biological productivity and contaminants are the highest.
Water temperatures in the central basin are isothermal from fall to late spring;
thermal stratification normally occurs below 15 meters from 3une until September.
During the later part of the stratified period the thin hypolimnion may lose all of its
dissolved oxygen.
'-- Eastern Basin. The eastern basin is relatively deep and bowl-shaped. A
c.dnsiderable area lies below 35 meters and the deepest sounding, 6^ meters, is found
east-southeast of Long Point, Ontario. This basin is separated from theVcentral basin
by a glacially deposited bar which extends from the base of Long Point 6n the Ontario
shore to Presque Isle at Erie, Pennsylvania. The bar contains a notch," 4:nown as the
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Pennsylvania channel, which reaches a depth of over 20 meters and provides a
subsurface connection for water circulation in both directions between the two basins.
,- The eastern basin receives over 95 percent of its water supply from the central
basin, but in general it is less turbid and is the least biologically productive of all three
basins. However, productivity is substantial along the south shore and near the mouth
of the Grand River on the north shore.
The temperature structure of the eastern basin is similar to that of the deeper
Great Lakes. It rarely freezes over (the western basin typically freezes over each
winter and the central basin occasionally freezes from shore to shore), but it is often
covered by drift ice from the other basins. The summer thermocline is thick,
approximately 10 meters, and persists from early summer to November. The depth of
the basin provides for a hypolimnion in excess of 40 meters in thickness. Although the
dissolved oxygen content in the hypolimnion declines in the summer, it rarely drops
below 50 percent of saturation.
Hydrology
Approximately 90 percent of the total inflow to Lake Erie comes from the
Detroit River, the drainage outlet for Lake Huron. The average annual inflow a
2
measured by the U.S. Lake Survey near the head of the Detroit River is 5,150 m /sec,
.
equivalent to 6.4 meters of waterfomLake Erie. Surface runoff from the drainage area
enters the lake via many smaller tributary rivers or by direct runoff from the shore
areas. Average annual^funoff is estimated at 580 m /sec, equivalent to 0.7 meters of
water over the lake's surface. The outflow from Lake Erie is through the Niagara
River at Buffalo and the Welland Canal diversion at Port Colborne. Combined outflow
avera
Erie.
averages about 5,730 m /sec annually, equivalent to 7.1 meters of water over Lake
:-- The average annual rainfall in the Lake Erie Basin is about 90 cm and ranges
between 80 and 93 cm. The total land area which drains into Lake Erie, Deluding that
above the mouth of the Detroit River, is only about three times the are^ of the water
surface of the lake. The large expanse of water affords a great opportunity for
evaporation, and the amount of water which has been lost is estimated to be between
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85 and 91 cm. This amount of evaporation is approximately equivalent to the average
annual rainfall over the lake. During dry periods more water may be evaporated from
the lake than flows into it from all of its tributaries. Under these conditions Lake Erie
delivers into the Niagara River a smaller quantity of water than it receives from the
Detroit River. --
Circulation
Water movement in the western basin of Lake Erie is strongly influenced by
Detroit River flow. This inflow is composed of three distinct water masses. The mid-
channel flow predominates and is characterized by 1) lower temperature, 2) lower
specific conductance, 3) greener color and higher transparency, 4) lower phosphorus
concentration, 5) higher dissolved-oxygen content, 6) lower chloride-ion concentration,
and 7) lower turbidity than the flows on the east and west sides of the river. The
midchannel flow penetrates deeply into the western basin where it mixes with other
masses and eventually flows into the central basin through Pelee Passage and to a
lesser extent through South Passage. The side flows generally cling to the shoreline
and recycle in large eddy currents.
In the central basin, the prevailing southwest winds are parallel to the
longitudinal axis of the lake. Because of the earth's rotation these winds generate
currents which cause a geostrophic transport of water toward the United States shore.
This convergence of water on the south shore results in a rise in lake level which is
equalized by sinking of water along this shore. At the same time the lake level is
lowered along the Canadian shore as surface currents move the water offshore. The
sinking along the south shore appears to be compensated by a subsurface movement of
water toward the north and an upwelling along the Ontario shore.
The thermocline is approximately 10 meters shallower adjacent to the north
shore than on the south side of the lake; this can be interpreted as an upwelling
influenced by the prevailing southwest winds (Herdendorf 1970). The resultant surface
currents indicate a net eastward movement, while subsurface readings show a slight
net westward movement. This can be explained by the cycle of 1) surface transport of
water toward the southeast, 2) sinking of water off the south shore, *3) subsurface
transport toward the north-northwest, and 4) upwelling adjacent to the-north shore.
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The pattern of this type of circulation would be analogous to coils of a spring that
tapers toward the eastern end of the lake.
~_ The formation of a deep thermocline in the southern half of the central basin
results in a relatively thin hypolimnion which is highly susceptible to oxygen depletion
bylediments with high oxygen demands. These circumstances result in the presence
of anoxic bottom water particularly in the southwestern part of the basin.
The bottom deposits of the northern part of the central basin are predominantly
glacial till and do not have the high oxygen demands of the clay muds in the southern
half of the basin. This fact, coupled with a thicker hypolimnion off the northern shore
and entrainment of eastern basin water flowing westward through the Pennsylvania
channel, apparently accounts for the more abundant dissolved oxygen at the bottom.
In the eastern basin the thermocline over the "deep hole" commonly forms at a
depth of I** meters, allowing a considerably thicker hypolimnion (^0 meters) than in
the central basin. In general, midlake water in the central and eastern basins of Lake
Erie, lakeward of a narrow band of shore-influenced water, is relatively uniform in
quality. Some variation in the concentration of dissolved substances occurs between
the epilimnion and hypolimnion waters in these basins and is probably caused by the
high oxygen demand and the regeneration of nutrients from the sediments. Most
dissolved solids showed a marked increase from Lake St. Clair to the Niagara River as
they pass through Lake Erie.
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LAKE ERIE INTENSIVE STUDY
Organization of Data Collection and Analysis -:
: Field investigations for the Intensive Study were initiated in January 1978 under
the auspices of the I3C. Approximately 25 organizations collected data relevant to
the effort (Table 2). Most components of the plan were implemented on schedule as
the environmental protection, natural resource management, and scientific research
communities of the Great Lakes region embarked on the two-year study (Table 3).
Planning and implementation of the study was coordinated by the Lake Erie Work
Group of the Surveillance Subcommittee. This subcommittee served the
Implementation Committee of the IJC Great Lakes Water Quality Board. The Lake
Erie Work Group was charged with the responsibility of monitoring the progress of
field investigations and preparation of reports which analyze the results of these
studies, and the production of a comprehensive assessment of the current status of
Lake Erie.
The methods for data collection and sample analysis are outlined in the Lake
Erie Surveillance Plan prepared by the Lake Erie Work Group (Winklhofer 1978).
Specific methods employed for the Intensive Study are contained in the numerous
reports submitted by study participants (Appendix A, B and C). Of major importance
were the methods used for the main lake and nearshore components; since six
organizations were responsible for these components encompassing the entire water
mass of the lake, data compatability was essential:
Main Lake
1. USEPA, Great Lakes National Program Office (USEPA/GLNPO)
-- 2. National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Water
:" (NWRI/CCIW)
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TABLE 3
MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE LAKE ERIE INTENSIVE STUDY
TOPIC
ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE
Main Lake
Main Lake Monitoring Report
Oxygen Studies
Sedimentation/Carbon Flux
Sediment Oxygen Demand
Lake Response to Nutrient Loading
Lake Circulation
Lake Physics Studies:
Interbasin transfer
Nearshore-offshore movement
Vertical drift
Nearshore
Canadian Nearshore
Western Basin, U.S.
Central Basin, U.S.
Eastern Basin, U.S.
Cladophora
Cleveland Intakes
Toledo/Maumee Estuary
Input and Problem Areas
Sources
Sources
Sources
Intakes, Point Sources, OME
NY Beaches, Tributaries, Intakes and Pt.
PA Beaches, Tributaries, Intakes and Pt.
OH Beaches, Tributaries, Intakes and Pt.
MI Beaches, Tributaries, Intakes, Point Sources,
and Detroit River
ONT Beaches, Tributariess
and Niagara River
Tributary, Point Sources, and Atmospheric Loading
Meteorological/Hydro!ogical Summary
Contaminants
Radioactivity
Ffsh Contaminants
Wildlife Contaminants
USEPA/OSU/CLEAR
NWRI/CCIW
NWRI/CCIW
USEPA/LLRS
USEPA/LLRS
NOAA/GLERL
NWRI/CCIW
OME
OSU/CLEAR
HC
SUNY/GLL
SUNY/GLL
CWQL
TPCA
NYDEC
ECDH
OEPA
MDNR
IOC
NOAA/GLERL
IJC
USEPA/USF&WS-
DF&O I
-16-
-------
TABLE 3 (CONTINUED)
TOPIC ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE
Data Quality
Data Quality Report IJC
Data Management Report IJC
Field and Laboratory Procedures IJC
Special Contributions
Fish Stock Assessment GLFC
Remote Sensing Experiments NASA
Wastewater Management Study USACOE
Tributary and Storm Event Reports USGS
Phosphorus Management Study IJC
Primary Productivity Study NWRI/CCIW
OSU/CLEAR
-17-
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Nearshore
1. Ohio State University, Center for Lake Erie Area Research (OSU/CLEAR) -
western Lake Erie, Detroit River to Huron, Ohio >
L. 2. Heidelberg College (HC) - central Lake Erie, Vermilion, Ohio to Ashtabula,
11 Ohio
3. State University of New York College at Buffalo, Great Lakes Laboratory
(SUNY/GLL) - eastern Lake Erie, Conneaut, Ohio to Buffalo, New York
4. Ontario Ministry of Environment, Water Resources Branch (OME) - western
Lake Erie, Detroit River to Point Pelee, central Lake Erie, Point Pelee to
Long Point, and eastern Lake Erie, Long Point to Niagara River
The parameters and typical methods used for water, biological, and sediment
measurements are listed in Table 4. To facilitate problem area assessment and the
determination of long-term trends, emphasis was placed on those parameters subject
to non-compliance with the Water Quality Agreement and/or jurisdictional criteria,
standards, or guidelines. For purposes of the Intensive Study, the lake was divided into
a series of main lake compartments and nearshore reaches (Figure 2) with a combined
station pattern totalling over 500 stations (Figure 3). Cruises were scheduled to
provide a reasonably synoptic view of the entire lake (Figure 4). Data from these
cruises constitute the foundation for the whole lake assessment.
In order to assist the Lake Erie Work Group in meeting its responsibility to bring
the general objective of the Intensive Study to fruition, the Center for Lake Erie Area
Research (CLEAR) proposed the creation of a technical assessment team with
scientific and technical knowledge of Lake Erie and report editing, research project
administration, and data management skills. In March 1980, at the conclusion of the
Intensive Study field investigations, such a team was established at The Ohio State
University by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, -Great Lakes
National Program Office. '---
-18-
-------
TABLE 4
PARAMETERS MEASURED FOR THE LAKE ERIE INTENSIVE STUDY
Water Parameters
!._ Temperature
2. Wind speed and direction
3. Transparency, Secchi Disk
4. Wave height
5. Extinction depth
6. Aesthetics
7. Turbidity
8. Suspended solids
9. Dissolved oxygen
10. pH
11. Specific conductance
12. Alkalinity
13. Total phosphorus
14. Total dissolved phosphorus
15. Soluble reactive phosphorus
16. Total kjeldahl nitrogen
17. Ammonia
18. Nitrate & Nitrite N
19. Dissolved reactive silicate
20. Chloride
21. Sulfate
22. Calcium
23. Magensium
24. Sodium
25. Potassium
26. Aluminum, total
27. Aluminum, dissolved
28. Cadmium, total
29. Cadmium, dissolved
30. Chromium, total
31. Chromium, dissolved
32. Copper, total
33. Copper, dissolved
34. Iron, total
35. Iron, dissolved
36. Lead, total
37". Lead, dissolved
3£~. Manganese, total
39-. Manganese, dissolved
48". Nickel, total
Biological Parameters
1. Phytoplankton
2. Zooplankton
3. Chlorophyll a^
4. Pheophytin
5. Aerobic heterotrophs
6. Fecal coliforms
7. Fecal streptococci
8. Benthos
Sediment Parameters
1. Solids, total
2. Solids, volatile
3. Chemical oxygen demand
4. Total organic carbon
5. Total phosphorus
6. Total kjeldahl nitrogen
7. Ammonia nitrogen
8. Arsenic
9. Selenium
10. Cadmium
11. Chromium
12. Copper
13. Iron
14. Lead
15. Nickel
16. Silver
17. Zinc
18. Mercury
19. Cyanide
20. PCBs, total
21. Hexachlorobenzene
22. beta-Benzenehexachloride
23. Lindane
24. Treflan
25. Aldrin
26. Isodrin
27. Heptachlor epoxide
28. Chlordane
29. DDT and metabolites
30. Methoxychlorr
-19-
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TABLE 1 (CONTINUED)
VJlter Parameters
4H Nickel, dissolved
42. Vanadium, total
43. Vanadium, dissolved
44. Zinc, total
45. Zinc, dissolved
46. Arsenic, total
47. Mercury, total
48. Selenium, total
49. Silver, total
50. Silver, dissolved
51. Cyanide
52. Phenol
53. Total organic carbon
54. Dissolved organic carbon
Sediment Parameters
31. Mirex
32. 2,4-D Isopropyl Ester
33. Endosulfan I
34. Endosulfan II
35. Dieldrin
36. Endrin
37. Tetradifon
38. Grain-size analysis
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-21-
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11 111 11 > ""
12345 67 ---
III III III
123 456 789
GLL H
1 2
HC H
» I
1 2 34
1 CRUISE NO. 2 3
MAR I APR I MAY 1 JUN | JUL | AUG | SEPT | OCT | NOV | PEC
CCIW
12 345 6 78
II I I I I II
12 345 6 78
I I I I I II III I
USEPA
2 34 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
GLL
HC
OSU
MOE
III
2 3 4
I I I I I
,JAN| FEB | MAR | APR [MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEPT
NOV
FIGURE 4. LAKE ERIE INTENSIVE STUDY CRUISE SCHEDULE
-22-
-------
The Lake Erie Technical Assessment Team (TAT) was thus formed to synthesize
data from the diverse groups into a unified whole lake assessment. TAT functioned to
provide a scientific focus for coordination and cooperation, for promotion of
information exchange, and for creation of an atmosphere in which a consensus could be
-reached on technical matters. Specific objectives of TAT included: ":
1. To provide professional supervision and a pool of scientific and technical
skills to supplement the international scientific staff involved in the
intensive study.
2. To coordinate and guide, essentially on a daily basis, efforts of the various
contributing scientists.
3. To exercise technical review and editorial responsibilities for the individual
reports.
b. To perform an in-depth and integrated analysis of the data base for the
purpose of a comprehensive assessment.
5. To assure that all pertinent baseline data resulting from Canadian and
United States sources are entered in STORET for the purpose of this
assessment and future analysis.
6. To exercise the aforementioned functions towards aggregating all Canadian
and United States elements of the intensive study to produce a timely,
unified whole lake report which will:
a. determine the status of the open water and nearshore areas of Lake
Erie in terms of
-I_ 1) trophic level,
2) toxic substances burden, !"
3) pathogenic bacteria contamination, ^
4) suspended materials load, and
5) oxygen demand;
-23-
-------
b. provide baseline data for the chemical, microbiological, and physical
parameters of water quality against which future changes may be
judged; \_
"=.
:- c. compare the present data with past data in order to determine how
rapidly and in what manner the lake is changing;
d. determine how these changes are related to waste reduction, pollutant
bans, nutrient control programs, and pollution abatement programs; and
e. prepare recommendations concerning the scope of future remedial
programs to enhance or maintain current lake water quality.
Technical Assessment Team Participants
The Lake Erie TAT consisted of a technical staff headquartered at The Ohio
State University and a select group of Canadian and United States scientists who
contributed data, technical reports and guidance to the effort. The individuals listed
below participated in the assessment undertaken by the Lake Erie TAT:
Technical Staff
1. Charles E. Herdendorf, Chairman
2. C. Lawrence Cooper, Coordinator
3. David E. Rathke, Editor
4-. Laura A. Fay
5. dohn 3. Mizera
6. Mark D. Barnes
7. R. Peter Richards
8. Gary Arico
:- Contributors
-- 1. Carl Baker - Ohio Department of Natural Resources y
2. David Baker - Heidelberg College t
3. Robert Bowden - USEPA, Great Lakes National Program ~-
-24-
-------
4. Farrell Boyce - Canada Centre for Inland Waters
5. Noel Burns - Canada Centre for Inland Waters
6. Murray Charlton - Canada Centre for Inland Waters >
_T 7. James Clark, USEPA, Great Lakes National Program
T^ 8. John Clark - International Joint Commission, GLRO -
~~ 9. David DeVault - USEPA, Great Lakes National Program
10. Clay Edwards - International Joint Commission, GLRO
11. Andrew Eraser - Canada Centre for Inland Waters
12. V. Ray Fredrick - SUNY, Great Lakes Laboratory
13. Douglas Haffner - International Joint Commission, GLRO
14. Douglas Hallett - Canada Wildlife Service
15. Yousry Hamdy - Ontario Ministry of the Environment
16. David Rockwell - USEPA, Great Lakes National Program
17. Fernando Rosa - Canada Centre for Inland Waters
18. Robert Sweeney - SUNY, Great Lakes Laboratory
19. Nelson Thomas - USEPA, Large Lakes Research Station
20. Richard Thomas - Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada Centre for
Inland Waters
21. Joseph Vihtelic - Michigan Department of Natural Resources
22. Lester Walters - Bowling Green State University
23. Robert Wellington - Erie County Department of Health, Pennsylvania
24. Richard Winklhofer - USEPA, Region V, Eastern District
25. Stephen Yaksich - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District
Appendix A lists the reports prepared by the Lake Erie Technical Assessment Team,
Appendix B lists reports contributed to the Lake Erie Intensive Study by other
investigators, and Appendix C lists the basic documents used by TAT to prepare this
report.
Study Limitations
I~_ Implementation of study plan. The study plan developed by the Lake Erie Work
Group was implemented in most details and on schedule. Notable^ exceptions to
complete implementation included: £^
-25-
-------
1. Atmospheric loadings were not determined during the study period.
2. United States nearshore surveys were conducted for three consecutive days
- rather than five consecutive days specified in the plan. -7
3. Canadian nearshore surveys were not comprehensive for the entire shore,
but localized in problem areas due to the availability of comprehensive data
from earlier studies.
<4. Soluble nutrients were not included in the eastern United States nearshore
cruises.
5. Electronic bathythermograph (EBT) recordings for depth greater than 10
meters were not included in central United States nearshore cruises.
6. Samples for benthos and toxic organic compounds in main lake sediments
were not obtained.
7'. Radiological data was not collected, except in the vicinity of the Davis-
Besse Nuclear Power Station near Port Clinton, Ohio.
Data gaps. In addition to the loss of data due to incomplete implementation of
the plan, the following problems encountered during the field investiation and analysis
phases of the study resulted in further loss of anticipated data:
1. Fish studies of the nearshore are only partially completed.
2. Metal analysis from both main lake and nearshore studies suffered from
problems in analysis, as did analysis for toxic organics in nearshore water,
:- sediment and fish samples.
-26-
-------
3. Water intake data are incomplete for toxic organic compounds.
k. Fewer zooplankton samples were collected and analyzed than pfanned.
- --=.
: 5. Some phosphorus data for 1978 from the main lake stations demonstrated a
low bias.
6. Detection limits insufficient to meet DC objectives for some parameters
resulted in excess violations to be reported.
7. In some cases, reports on individual studies (secondary components) were not
prepared; however data are usually available.
Data compatability. Analysis of study results from the participating laboratories
shows that the comparability of data is not seriously affected by differences in
precision, except for dissolved and total metals which are present in the lake water at
very low concentrations. However, differences resulting from individual laboratory
biases are significant for several parameters, particularly phosphorus, when compared
to the temporal and spatial variability observed in the lake. Therefore, it is not
possible (in all cases) to assume complete compatibility of data gathered by different
agencies, or by the same agency in different years. The question of data
comparability is a relative one, and judgments about the use of combined of data sets
must ultimately be made in the context of the specific questions to which the data are
to be applied. Certainly the data gathered for the Intensive Study can be used to
compare various portions of the lake, to define the lake's overall status and, for many
parameters, to specify violations of water quality objectives. However, the utility of
combined data sets to establish long-term trends is less certain.
?"_ A test of data compatibility was performed in the western basin by pooling
nearshore and offshore data gathered by CLEAR, OME and USEPA. Using SYMAP
plots of nine individual parameters, contoured distribution maps were constructed for
seven cruises (see Figures 24 and 37 for examples of SYMAP plots). f^These maps
showed expected nearshore/offshore gradients and northshore/southshore differences
with the absence of dicontinuities at agency interfaces. Experiments such as this add
credibility to the lake-wide assessment attempted by this study.
-------
CONCLUSIONS
r" The major issues considered by the Intensive Study can be categori-zed into five
tofncs: 1) lake enrichment, 2) toxic substances, 3) public health, 4) land use activities
and 5) lake response to remedial actions. In order to place the time period of the
Intensive Study (1978-1979) into perspective, results are presented in reference to
previous investigations and to those conducted since the end of the Intensive Study.
Lake Enrichment
Prior to 1970, water quality investigations of Lake Erie were conducted at
sporadic intervals with a wide variety of field procedures and analytical techniques.
For these reasons it is difficult to document long-term trends to any degree of
accuracy. Starting with Project Hypo (Burns and Ross 1972) in 1970 (a joint Canadian-
United States project to investigate the eutrophication of Lake Erie), consistent
shipboard and laboratory procedures have been utilized by the several research groups
monitoring the status of the open waters of Lake Erie. For the past decade, cruises
have been undertaken annually in the three basins of the lake by the following
organizations: 1) Canada Centre for Inland Waters (NWRI), 2) Center for Lake Erie
Area Research (OSU), 3) Great Lakes Laboratory (SUNY) and 4) Great Lakes National
Program Office (USEPA). The following discussion characterizes the conditions of the
lake for several eutrophication-related parameters during the period 1970 to 1982.
Lake levels. The mean Lake Erie water level for the period 1860 to 1970 was
570.37 feet above International Great Lakes Datum, 1955. For the period 1960 to
1970, the average level was 570.24 feet, only slightly below the mean. However, for
the period 1970 to 1980, the average level rose to 571.74, a volumetric increase of
approximately 3% between the two decades. Of significance to water quality, lake
levels during the period 1970 to 1980 averaged about 0.5 m above levels for the
proceeding decade. The lowest annual water level (569.01 feet for 1964) within the
earlier decade was about 1.1 m below the mean level for the highest yelar (572.72 for
1973) of the latter decade. This change amounts to about a 7% increase in lake
volume.
-28-
-------
Higher lake levels have primarily resulted from an increased flow of higher
quality water from the upper Great Lakes via the Detroit River. This dilution effect,
in combination with more deeply submerged substrates in the nearshorC regions and
western basin shoals, may have had profound impacts on the lake biota..-With higher
wi.ter, greater attenuation of light reaching substrate suitable for the development of
both planktonic and attached forms of algae has occurred. Lake level changes have
likely contributed to the absence, in the mid-1970s, of the basin-wide algal blooms and
massive growths of the filamentous algae, Cladophora glomerata, which were so
prevalent in the mid-1960s.
Thermal structure. The western basin of Lake Erie is essentially isothermal
throughout the year. This basin was determined to be unstratified during all 80 cruises
undertaken during the period 1970-1982. However, periods of temporary stratification
in isolated areas of the western basin have been reported by Britt (1955), Carr et al.
(1965) and Zapotosky and Herdendorf (1980). Such stratification is usually transitory
in nature but can result in severe oxygen depletion conditions due to high oxygen
demand of the sediments.
The central basin of Lake Erie typically stratifies into three layers (referred to
as limnions in this report) in early June and turns over in early September. The mean
thicknesses of the epilimnion, mesolimnion and hypolimnion during the period 1970-
1982 are presented in Table 5 and summarized below:
Central Lake Erie Thermal Strata
Limnion
Epilimnion
Mesolimnion
Hypolimnion
Thickness (m)
(± std error)
13.2 + 0.4
2.1 + 0.2
4.5 + 0.3
Cruises
(N)
42
42
47
v- ")
The area of the central basin hypolimnion averages approximately 11,300 km (Table
6) or about 70% of the surface area of the entire basin. The mean thickness of the
-29-
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TABLE 6
LAKE ERIE CENTRAL BASIN HYPOLIMNION AREA
Year
1970
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
Mean
Std
Error
May June
(km2) (km2)
14
13
12
13
14
13,976
11
15
11,439 10
12,708 13
1,272
,819
,678
,105
,245
,250
,330
,027
,974
,179
550
July
(km2)
12
11
13
12
14
11
13
13
13
12
,883
,860
,385
,876
,130
,320
,130
,750
,149
,943
292
Aug.
(km2)
12,962
11,698
11,550
11,775
12,670
12,570
11,775
12,143
215
Sept.
(km2)
11
10
9
3
1
12
8
12
11
5_
8
1
,829
,556
,599
,380
,891
,000
,704
,520
,256
,538
,727
,206
Late
Sept. Mean
(km2) (km2)
3,660 10
12
12
9
9
13
11
12,890 12
5,867 11
10
7,472 11
2,786
,334
,233
,221
,012
,947
,263
,333
,488
,475
,575
,334
Std.
Error
(±)
2,239
909
1,315
2,824
2,703
553
1,524
309
2,027
1,308
505
-------
hypolirnnion shows considerable year-to-year variability (Figure 5). No trend is
apparent, but the 1975 hypolirnnion, with a mean thickness of 7.1 -jneters, was
significantly thicker than all other years. '
: The year-to-year and seasonal characteristics of the central basin hypolirnnion
are presented in Tables 7 and 8, respectively, and annual mean trends in hypolirnnion
thickness, temperature and dissolved oxygen for 1970 to 1982 are given in Table 9.
The mean hypolirnnion temperature has been relatively consistent over this period,
with the exception of 1975 which was significantly colder than other years (Figure 6).
The mean dissolved oxygen content (Figure 7) of the hypolimnion does not show a
statistically significant trend from 1970 to 1982, but the poorest year, 1973, had a
significantly lower content, than the oxygen concentrations measured during the past
five years (1978-1982).
In general, the central basin hypolimnion decreases in thickness and area (Figure
8) and in dissolved oxygen (Figure 9) throughout the stratified period, but increases in
temperature (Figure 9). The mean monthly trends in these characteristics for 1970 to
1982 are summarized below:
Central Basin Hypolimnion Characteristics
Period
(Month)
May
Dune
3uly
August
September
Thickness
(m)
5.7
6.2
5.2
4.4
3.3
Area
(km2)
12,708
13,179
12,943
12,143
8,727
Temperature
(°C)
7.7
8.6
11.1
12.2
13.1
Dissolved
Oxygen
(mg/1)
11.2
9.2
6.2
2.6
- 1.7
Statistical variability and sample sizes for these means are given in Tabled 6 and 9.
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TRENDS IN THICKNESS AND AREA FOR
CENTRAL BASIN (1970 - 1982)
-40-
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FIGURE 9. LAKE ERIE HYPOLIMNION - MEAN ANNUAL TRENDS IN
TEMPERATURES AND DISSOLVED OXYGEN FOR
CENTRAL BASIN (1970 - 1982)
-41-
-------
The seasonal pattern for the thermal structure of central Lake Erie is shown in
Figure 10. Once the thermocline is well established, generally in late June, the
mesolimnion remains relatively uniform in thickness as the epilimnion thickens at the
expense of the hypolimnion. Eventually, the cooling of the surface wafer forces the
epilimnion to the bottom of the lake, eliminating the other limnions it "turnover."
This thinning of the hypolimnion increases the bottom surface area to water volume
ratio in the hypolimnion, which tends to increase the effect of sediment oxygen
demand (SOD) on the remaining hypolimnetic water.
The eastern basin of Lake Erie is normally stratified from June through October
or early November. The mean thicknesses of the epilimnion, mesolimnion and
hypolimnion during 1978 are presented below:
Central Lake Erie Thermal Strata
Limnion
Epilimnion
Mesolimnion
Hypolimnion
Thickness (m)
(± std error)
13.1 + 2.7
8.5 + 1.8
12.5 + 0.5
Cruises
(N)
5
5
5
Generally the hypolimnion in the eastern basin is of sufficient thickness that severe
oxygen depletion problems do not develop.
The thermal structure of Lake Erie is highly dependent on wind and other
meteorological conditions. Calm weather in the western basin can be effective in
forming transitory stratification during the summer months. In the central and
eastern basins, calm weather during the late spring can result in a shallow thermocline
and a correspondingly thick hypolimnion. This situation occurred in 1975 with a
dramatic impact on dissolved oxygen concentrations in the central basin hypolimnion.
Herdendorf (1980) documented that in 1975 the thickness of the hypjplimnion was
considerably thicker than earlier years of the decade and that the oxygen depletion
rate was lower and the areal extent of anoxia was greatly reduced (see Figures 12 and
15 for comparison with other years).
-42-
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Dissolved oxygen. Low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, particularly in the
central basin hypolimnion, is one of the most important environmental problems
plaguing Lake Erie. Small areas of anoxic water in the central basin were observed as
early as 1930 (Fish 1960). The size of the late summer anoxic portion_of the lake
continued to grow for the next several decades until 1973, when approximately 94% of
the hypolimnion had oxygen concentrations below 0.5 mg/1 (Herdendorf 1980). More
recent surveys have shown wide fluctuations in the size of the anoxic area in the
central basin, primarily due to the meteorological conditions discussed earlier for
1975; however, the area and the percentage of the hypolimnion experiencing anoxia
have declined markedly in the period 1977 to 1982, as seen below:
Central Lake Erie Anoxic Area Trends
Period
1970-1976*
1977-1982
Anoxic
Area (km )
(± std error)
8,678 ± 890
4,294 ± 434
Percent
Hypolimnion
75.2 ± 6.0
35.2 ±3.6
Percent
Total
Basin
55.2 ± 5.2
27.0 ± 2.2
Years
(N)
5
5
* 1975 excluded
Typically, the central basin hypolimnion contains about 8 mg/1 of dissolved
oxygen in late June, but by early September this has been reduced to less than 1 mg/1
aver much of the basin. Figure 11 depicts the distribution of hypolimnetic oxygen in
f981 and illustrates the loss of oxygen during the stratified period. This pattern is
typical of the depletion process which has occurred during the past five years.
-44-
-------
Hypolimnion Oxygen (mg/1)
June 24-July 3, 1981
Hypolimnion Oxygen (mg/1)
September 1-11. 1981
FIGURE 11. DISTRIBUTION OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN IN LAKE ERtE CENTRAL
BASIN HYPOLIMNION (1981)
-45-
-------
One method of determining trends in oxygen concentrations involves measuring
the rate of loss in oxygen in the interval between two cruises. Table 10 provides a list
of the calculated central basin oxygen demand for the period 1970 to 1982, expressed
** ?
as-both oxygen loss per unit volume of water (mg/1) and loss per unit area (g/m ) per
day between two cruises. Table 11 shows estimates of oxygen demand";for both the
central and eastern basin by various investigators for the period 1930 to 1982. The
general inference that can be drawn from the rate measurement data is that the
hypolimnetic oxygen demand in the central basin increased during the period 1930 to
1970, remained relatively stable during the mid-1970s (with the exception of 1975
which has been discussed earlier), and declined slightly during the last five years
(Figure 12). The daily losses per unit volume and unit area (with standard error
estimate) for these three blocks of years are summarized below:
Central Basin Hypolimnetic Oxygen Demand
Period Volumetric Loss Rate Areal Loss Rate
(mg/l/day) (g/m /day)
1930-1970 0.079 + 0.010 0.25 + 0.06
1970-1976* 0.123 + 0.010 0.57 + 0.08
1977-1982 0.107 ±0.006 0.52 + 0.03
* 1975 excluded
From these data the significant increase in the rate of oxygen loss from 1930 to 1970
islobvious, but the recent decline may not be significant but merely a slr|ht downward
trend in the relative stable period that has persisted since 1970. Thfs stability in
central basin hypolimnetic oxygen demand from 1970 to 1982, particularly during the
-46-
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TABLE 11
TRENDS IN NET OXYGEN DEMAND OF THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN BASINS HYPOLIMNIONS OF LAKE ERIE (1930-1982)
BATA
SOURCE
YEAR
NET OXYGEN DEMAND PER DAY
Rate Per Unit Area Rate Per Unit Volume
1
1
1
1
2
3,4
3,4
3,4
3,4
3
2
5
2
5
3
3
3
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1977
1978
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
(g
Central
Basin
0.08
0.15
0.25
0.37
0.38
0.53
0.60
0.67
0.75
0.58
0.48
0.51
0.54
0.41
0.63
0.47
0.47
Eastern
Basin
--
--
0.70
0.23
0.57
0.76
--
0.68
0.51
0.58
0.61
0.58
--
(mg/1)
Central Eastern
Basin Basin
0.054
0.067
0.070
0.093
0.110
0.120
0.130
0.100
0.130
0.130
0.120
0.092
0.111
0.090
0.109
0.085
0.111
0.023
0.027
0.032
0.036
0.055
0.016
0.026
0.040
0.032
0.060
0.065
0.048
0.047
0.049
--
--
Data sources: (1) Dobson and Gilbertson (1971); (2) CCIW--
Noel Burns, personal communication; (3) OSU/CLEAR--Central -V
Basin, 1973-1977, 1980-1982; Eastern Basin, 1977; (4) SUNY/GLL--1
Eastern Basin, 1973-1976; (5) USEPA/GLNPOrate calculation, £
OSU/CLEAR.
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month of August, is illustrated in Figure 13. This tight cluster of data points suggest
that August is the more opportune month to obtain oxygen depletion measurements for
rate comparisons. -~
£_ Early oxygen depletion data is not available for the eastern basin. A slight
increase may be indicated from the first half to the second half of the past decade;
however, the data in Table 11 shows an erratic pattern in the early 1970s, which may
be the result of diverse analytical techniques.
Another method of assessing the oxygen status of the central basin hypolimnion
is comparing the relative sizes of anoxic areas from year to year. Anoxia is here
defined as dissolved oxygen concentrations of less than 0.5 mg/1 as measured 1.0
meters above the sediment-water interface. Figure 14 is a mosaic of Lake Erie maps
from 1930 to 1982 showing the 15 years where reasonably good data exists for the
areal extent of anoxia. The estimated areas of the anoxic hypolimnion are presented
in Table 12 and shown graphically in Figure 15. The obvious conclusion is that the area
of the central basin experiencing anoxia increased dramatically from 1930 to the mid-
1970s and since that time has declined by approximately 50%.
Clarity. Water clarity is an indicator of both phytoplankton biomass and
inorganic particulate matter suspended in the water column. Turbidity patterns mirror
those that will be presented for total phosphorus. Central and eastern basin turbidity
is primarily the result of the organic component, whereas in the western basin spring
meltwaters carry a large component of inorganic solids to the lake.
An analysis of Lake Erie transparency was performed for the period 1973-1982
by area-weighting secchi disk results from 33 cruises in the western basin, 37 in the
central basin and 10 in the eastern basin (Table 13). No significant trends or
improvements are demonstrated by the data. The mean summer values for 4-year
periods are summarized below:
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1930
1961
1959
1964
1960
1970
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1980
1981
1982
FIGURE U. DISTRIBUTION OF ANOXIA IN LAKE ERIE (1930 - 1982).
-------
TABLE 12
ESTIMATED AREA OF THE ANOXIC HYPOL1MNION
OF THE CENTRAL BASIN OF LAKE ERIE (1930-1982)
Ye>
1930
1959
1960
1961
1964
1970
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1980
1981
1982
Anoxic Area
(km2)
300
3,600
1,660
3,640
5,870
6,600
7,970
11,270
10,250
400
7,300
2,870
3,980
4,330
4,820
5,470
Percent of
Hypo limn ion
(*)
3.0
33.0
15.0
33.0
53.0
60.0
72.5
93.7
87.0
4.1
63.0
24.8
31.4
35.9
37.4
46.5
Central Basin
Total Basin
(%)
1.9
22.3
10.3
22.5
36.3
40.4
49.3
69.8
63.4
2.5
53.0
20.8
24.6
26.8
29.0
33.9
Data Sources:
1930Fish (1960)
1959-1961Thomas (1963)
:- 1964FWPCA (1968a)
--; 1970CCIW (Burns and Ross 1972)
- 1972-1977, 1980-1982OSU/CLEAR
" 1978ANL (Zapotosky and White 1980)
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Secchi Disk Transparency for Lake Erie
Period Western Basin Central Basin Eastern Basin
(m + std error) (m ± std error) (m + std error)
1973-1976 1.67 ± 0.16 5.27 ± 0.29
1976-1979 1.81+0.25 5.13 + 0.27 5.54 + 0.17
1979-1982 1.57 + 0.27 4.96 + 0.38
The year with the poorest water clarity for the western basin (Figure 16) and the
central basin (Figure 17) was recorded in 1981 which coincides with a year that
experienced severe late spring storms and associated resuspension of bottom
sediments. Even with these low values, the transparency in the western and central
basins was relatively constant throughout the 10-year period. From the limited data
for the eastern basin, it appears that mean transparencies in the eastern and central
basins are very similar. In general, the central basin transparency exceeds that of the
western basin by a factor of three.
Dissolved Substances. Trends in dissolved substances in Lake Erie water can be
inferred from long-term records of Lake Erie conductivity measurements and
determination of major conservative ions, such as sulfate and chloride. Central basin
cruise data for 1970 to 1982 (Figure 18) indicates a significant decline in specific
conductance. The typical distributions of the major dissolved ions in Lake Erie
(alkalinity, conductivity, calcium, sulfate, chloride, sodium, magnesium, and
potassium) are illustrated in Figure 19. The tendency is for most substances to
increase from west to east as water flows through the basins. USEPA/QLNPO, using
STORET data files for the period 1966 to 1980, performed a trend- analysis for
conductivity, chloride and sulfate based on central basin cruise data supplied by CCIW,
OME, GLNPO and CLEAR. OME data was obtained from stations 1-7 km offshore,
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while data from the other three groups were from open lake stations, generally 5 km
or more offshore. Annual mean values for 5-year periods are summarized below:
Dissolved Solids in Central Lake Erie -
Period
Specific Conductance Chloride
(umhos/cm ± std error) (mg/1 + std error)
Sulfate
(mg/1 + std error)
1966-1970
1971-1975
1976-1980
313 ± 1.8
298 ± 7.0
284 ± 2.8
24.0 ± 0.5
21.6 ±0.8
19.4 + 0.3
24.3 ± 0.8
22.7 ± 0.4
22.5 ± 0.4
Specific conductance data points on Figure 20 represent cruise mean values for periods
of isothermal lake conditions (March-May and October-December). Conductivity thus
indicates a rather slow decline for mean levels for the period of record. The mean
value for 1975-1980 (284 umhos/cm) is approximately nine percent lower than the
mean 1966-1970 value (313 umhos/cm). Trends in central basin chloride (Figure 20)
shows a more noticeable decline from a mean concentration of 24.0 mg/1 for 1966-
1970 to 19.4 mg/1 for 1975-1979. Sulfate concentrations showed no discernable trend.
Nutrients. Phosphorus has been identified as a limiting nutrient for algal
productivity in Lake Erie (Hartley and Potos 1971), whereas nitrogen is in sufficiently
large supplies in the waters of the lake that it is not considered a limiting nutrient.
The status of both of these elements will be discussed in this section.
Annual mean concentrations for the western, central and eastern basins for the
period 1970 to 1982 (Table 14) are presented in Figures 21, 22 and 23, respectively, and
are summarized in 5-year periods below: _
-61-
-------
Lake Erie Central Basin Conductivity umhos/cm at 25°C
Storet Monthly Mean Values Plotted
380
360
u
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1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 l'J77 1978 1979 198O
Lake Erie Central Basin Chloride (mg/l)
Storet Monthly Mean Values Plotted
28
25
24
U 21 -
20
19 -
18
« *
I 1 I I I
CCIW
MOE
GLNPO
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1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 197b 1976 1977 1D78 1U79 198D
FIGURE 20. TRENDS IN LAKE ERIE SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE AND
CHLORIDE CONCENTRATION-CENTRAL BASIN
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Total Phosphorus Concentrations in Lake Erie
Period
Western Basin
(ug/1 + std error)
Central Basin
(ug/1 + std error)
Eastern Basin
(ug/1 ± std error)
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1982
38.1 ± 3.2
40.5 ± 2.3
37.5 ± 5.2
18.6 + 1.1
18.9 ±2.2
16.4 t 1.5
23.1 ±4.1
17.4 ± 4.3
13.8 + 2.6
The western basin has a significantly higher concentration than the other two basins by
a factor of over two, but no statistically significant changes in concentrations
occurred since 1970. However, a slight decline is suspected for the latter half of the
1970s when spring storm values are excluded from the annual means, as has been done
in Figure 21 for the shallow western basin.
The distribution of most nutrients throughout the lake shows similar patterns.
Total phosphorus, for example is characterized by high concentrations near the mouth
of the Maumee River in the western basin (Figure 24) and the Cuyahoga River in the
central basin (Figure 25). The impact of hypolimnetic regeneration of phosphorus in
both central and eastern basins is also illustrated in Figure 25. There is a general
west-to-east decrease with highest values located along the United States shore,
particularly at the mouths of major tributaries. The Detroit River is an exception in
that a large volume of upper Great Lakes water tends to dilute the nutrient load
contributed by the urban and industrial complex adjacent to the river. Although low in
concentration when compared to the Maumee River, the Detroit River in 1980
contributed approximately 37% of the total load of phosphorus to Lake Erie (Table 15),
whereas the Maumee River accounted for about 12% of the total load. ~~
-67-
-------
Surface (ug/l)
Spring 1978
Surface (;ug/l)
Summer 1978
FIGURE 2H. DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL PHOSPHORUS IN LAKE ERTE-
WESTERN BASIN
-68-
-------
August 19 - August 18, 1978
Epilimnion (ug/l)
August 19 - August 23, 1978
Hypolimion (ug/l)
FIGURE 25. DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL PHOSPHORUS IN THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN BASINS OF LAKE ERIE.
-69-
-------
TABLE 15
ESTIMATES OF TOTAL PHOSPHORUS LOADING TO LAKE ERIE
Year
Detroit River Loading
To Lake Erie
(Metric Tons)
Loading to Entire Lake
(Metric Tons)
IJC
CCIW
USACOE
IJC
CCIW
Data Sources:
IJC (1981)
Frazer and Willson (1981)
USACOE, Buffalo District (1982)
USACOE
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
32,850
26,280
25,915
15,330
14,600
16,425
11,315
12,045
10,220
6,205
6,205
5,110
4,745
14,309
17,822
17,389
15,422
10,436
12,000
10,548
8,492
6,521
7,991
4,150
4,150
10,488
12,064
11,633
13,169
11,422
10,366
10,065
8,317
6,206
5,450
5,212
23,500
18,033
22,000
19,910
18,263
13,802
15,416
14,560
19,464
11,941
14,855
23,437
27,944
26,977
23,724
18,077
22,271
20,485
16,821
14,534
15,831
11,229
13,894
20,448
20,396
25,726
24,113
22,605
20,268
20,041
20,499
15,336
14,650
12,141
-------
Nutrient distributions in the nearshore waters correspond to major loadings
source. Tributary mouths in the western basin and south shore of the central basin are
characterized by high concentrations of phosphorus throughout the year_ (Figure 26).
Other notable locations for high concentrations include the mouth of the? Grand River
(Ontario) and adjacent to Erie, Pennsylvania, both in the eastern basin (nearshore
reach nos. 2 and 19, respectively).
Estimates of total phosphorus loading to Lake Erie have been published by
several agencies. These estimates vary considerably which has led to some confusion
in relating the trend of "in-lake" concentrations to changes in the load being delivered
to the lake. Table 15 provides a comparison of the loading estimates generated by
DC, NWRI/CCIW, and USACOE for the period 1967-1980. Estimates from all sources,
except shoreline erosion, are compared graphically in Figure 27 and from only the
Detroit River in Figure 28. All estimates show a decided decrease in the load of total
phosphorus to the lake. The mean annual decline for all three agencies was found to
be 779 + 12 metric tons. In the 10-year period from 1971 to 1980, the contribution of
the Detroit River to the total amount of phosphorus loaded to Lake Erie has fallen
from 67% to 37%.
It has not been possible to translate the decline in phosphorus loading to Lake
Erie to decreases in the concentrations or quantities of total phosphorus measured in
the lake. Even when open lake data is filtered to remove the erratic fluctuations
caused by spring and fall storms (Figure 29) no significant changes in central basin
total phosphorus can be seen from 1970 to 1982. In fact, total phosphorus increased in
minimum summer quantities for the period 1970 to 1976 (Figure 30). This can be
partially explained by phosphorus releases from sediment through wave resuspension
and anoxic regeneration. Several investigations have demonstrated that approximately
80% of the phosphorus loading to Lake Erie becomes incorporated into the bottom
sediments (Burns 1976 and Herdendorf 1980). Cruise data for 1978-1980 suggest a
response to decreasing phosphorus loading with lower summer minima and annual
quantities; however, 1981 and 1982 data show very similar values to the mid-1970s. If
improvements are to be detected in the lake they should show up first in the western
basin where the greatest decrease in loading has occurred. Figure 31 Say illustrate
such a trend for the Ontario shore adjacent to the mouth of the DetroTt River. The
-71-
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Ontario Ministry of Environment has determined that the concentration of total
phosphorus in these nearshore waters has decreased approximately 40% in the 10-year
period from 1970 to 1979 which is comparable to the improvements indicated for the
Detroit River in Table 15. -
71 Nitrogen is the only major dissolved constituent in the waters of Lake Erie which
has shown a dramatic increase in the past decade. Increased use of chemical
fertilizers and gaseous emissions of nitrogen compounds within the drainage basin are
thought to be the major causes. Nitrate plus nitrite loading to the lake has increased
significantly during the period of record (1967 to 1979). Loading from the Detroit
River alone averaged 160 metric tons per day in 1979, more than twice the amount
reported for 1967. Lake concentrations have also increased significantly for nitrate
plus nitrite nitrogen since the first comprehensive surveys in the mid-1960s. Open
lake concentrations in the western basin for 1963-1965 averaged 120 ug/1 while the
central and eastern basins averaged 90 ug/1 (FWPCA 1968a). Concentrations for the
period 1978-1982 averaged 434 ug/1 for the western basin and 176 ug/1 for the central
and eastern basins (Table 16). Trends for the western and central basin are illustrated
in Figures 32 and 33, respectively, and are summarized below for all three basins:
Nitrate + Nitrite Concentrations in Lake Erie
Period
Western Basin
(ug/1 t std error)
Central Basin
(ug/1 + std error)
Eastern Basin
(ug/1 ± std error)
1963-1965
1970-1975
1978-1982
120
259
434
±24
± 104
90
121
178
± 21
± 22
90
113
172
± 12
±8
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chlorophyll a for the period 1970 to 1982 are presented in Table IF and shown
graphically for the western, central and eastern basin on Figures 34,- 35 and 36,
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Chlorophyll a Concentrations in Lake Erie
Period
Western Basin
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Central Basin
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Eastern Basin
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1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1982
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5.1 ± 0.3 3.1 ± 0.2
3.9 + 0.5 1.9 + 0.4
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southern shores while the lowest values are found in the water mass influence by the
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and eastern basins (Figure 38) concentrations are less than half those kr the western
basin yielding a strong gradient east of the islands region. The south shure commonly
has the highest concentrations except in autumn when mid-lake concentrations can be
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Surface
Summer 1978
FIGURE 37. DISTRIBUTION OF CHLOROPHYLL a IN LAKE ERIE
WESTERN BASIN
-87-
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May 18-May 27, 1978
Epilimnion (ug/1)
18-July 29, 1978
Epilimnion (ug/1)
October 2U-November 1, 1978
Epilimnion (ug/1)
FIGURE 38.
DISTRIBUTION OF CHLOROPHYLL 3. IN LAKE ERIE^- CENTRAL
AND EASTERN BASINS.
-88-
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Nearshore concentrations of chlorophyll a (Figure 39) correspond to the same
patterns observed for phosphorus (Figure 26). The most significant difference was for
Maumee Bay (nearshore reach no. 11) were chlorophyll is high, but proportionally lower
than phosphorus values. The high sediment turbidity of these waters is thought to be
the major cause, resulting in reduced light levels for photosynthesis.
Volume-weighted cruise mean quantities of chlorophyll a for the period 1970 to
1982 are plotted on Figure 40. Although no convincing trend is apparent, the minimum
and maximum annual cruise means for the latter half of the period are noticeably
lower than those for the earlier years.
During each of the two years of the Intensive Study the western basin
phytoplankton biomass was dominated by diatoms in the spring and co-dominated by
diatoms and blue-greens through the summer and fall. This pattern is similar to that
reported for 1970 by Munawar and Munawar (1976). In the central and eastern basins
diatoms and greens represented the major contributors to the phytoplankton
commmunity throughout the season. Diatom biomass was high in the early spring and
in the fall following lake turnover. Green algae dominated in the summer but at a
lower biomass than the diatom peaks. Studies of biomass distribution by
USEPA/GLNPO indicate a west-to-east decrease in the standing crop of algae for the
three basins:
Mean Phytoplankton Biomass of Lake Erie
Year
1978
1979
Western Basin
(g/m3)
4.0
9.4
Central Basin
(g/m3)
1.8
3.4
Eastern Basin
(g/m3)
1.2
0.9
The highest concentrations of phytoplankton were observed along theiUnited States
shore of all three basins. ~~
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The basin-wide blooms of blue-greens in western Lake Erie which were so
prevalent in the mid-1960s decreased in intensity and number in the 1970s. No basin-
wide blooms were reported during the Intensive Study, although USEPA/GLNPO noted
visible algal blooms in the western basin (up to 17 g/m ) in August, September and
October 1979 with associated whiting presumably due to CaCO- precipitation. Open
-late phytoplankton analysis, from an index station in each of the three basins between
1970 and 1980, indicates a reduction in total phytoplankton biomass and a composition
shift toward more oligotrophic species. Several eutrophic species were less abundant
in 1979 than in 1970 and two oligotrophic species were first observed in 1979 (Munawar
1981). Analysis of samples from the Kingsville water intake along the northern shore
of western Lake Erie indicates a marked decline in algal biomass in recent years. This
apparent improvement along the Ontario shore has not been observed in the Michigan
or Ohio nearshore water. This may be explained by the phosphorus decrease in the
Detroit River outflow, which strongly influences the Ontario shore (Figure 2^), versus
high concentrations of phosphorus in the Maumee River and other tributaries which
influence the United States shore.
The filamentous, epilithic green alga Cladophora glomerata is well-adapted to
rocky littoral reaches of Lake Erie, as evidenced by its profuse growth. This alga has
been reported in Lake Erie since the late 1800s, but in the past few decades it has
become increasingly abundant. Massive growths of Cladophora have created nuisance
accumulations and obnoxious odors along recreational shores. It may also clog water
intakes, foul fishing nets and submerged structures, and impede navigation due to
growths on boat hulls. Thomas (1975) suggests that the Cladophora starts to become a
nuisance at phosphorus concentrations of 15 ug/1, and it is only above this level that it
interferes with certain water uses, especially recreation and drinking water. Because
of the high concentrations of phosphorus in the nearshore waters of all three basins
(Figure 26), the distribution and abundance of Cladophora in Lake Erie is largely
limited by the lack of suitable substrate. The most extensive growths of Cladophora
are located in the eastern basin nearshore and the islands region of the western basin
due to the large areas of exposed bedrock. The distribution of Cladophora was
quantified in all three basins of the lake during the Intensive Study. Five sites were
investigated including two in the western basin (Stony Point, Michigan f- Site 1 and
South Bass Island, Ohio Site 2), one in the central basin (Walnut Creek^Pennsylvania
-92-
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-- Site 3) and two in the eastern basin (Hamburg, New York Site 4 and Rathfon
Point, Ontario Site 5). The results of surveys conducted in 1979 and 1980 are
summarized below:
Maximum Standing Crop of Cladophora in Lake Erie -_
Year
1979
1980
Western
Site 1
(g/m2)
107
186
Basin
Site 2
(g/m2)
110
218
Central Basin
Site 3
(g/m2)
2H
59
Eastern
Site 4
(g/m2)
100
86
Basin
Site 5
(g/m2)
983*
"results questionable
From the abundant growth observed along the Ontario shore of the eastern basin, it is
suspected that light attenuation is relatively small here when compared with the more
turbid waters of the western basin where light is a major limiting factor to Cladophora
growth. Correspondingly, the depth of maximum growth was found to range from 0.5
meters for the western basin to 3.0 meter in the eastern basin. The lack of sufficient
historical data preclude the establishment of biomss trends for this alga.
Open laj
-------
through time. Thus, a general improvement in the quality of water appears to be
occurring along the western shore of the river.
The Livingstone Channel, which is considered representative ofrupper Great
Lakes water, showed significant decreases in conductivity, ammonia, total Kjeldahl
ntirogen, total organic carbon, total phosphorus, soluble phosphorus, phenols and
chloride. No significant trends were found for temperature, turbidity, silica, BOD,
organic nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrite or iron. Again, a general improvement in water
quality is indicated for mid-river flow.
The Canadian shore of the Detroit River shows significant decreases in total
organic carbon, total phosphorus, soluble phosphorus, total coliforms and phenols. No
significant trends were observed for temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity,
TDS, silica, BOD, organic nitrogen, ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate plus
nitrite, iron or chlorides. Increases through time were observed for pH, conductivity,
and fecal coliforms. Thus, while not as many parameter trends are significant at this
site than at the other two segments in the Detroit River, a general improvement in
water quality can be ascertained by decreases in major nutrient concentrations, total
coliforms, and phenols.
Monroe, Michigan water intake data show only an increasing trend in phenols; all
other parameters of interest were either not present in the data set or showed no
significant change. Although the data set is limited, the analyses of existing nutrient
and major ion parameters indicates that water quality at this site in the lake may not
have changed significantly within the period of record.
Data from samples collected at the mouth of the Maumee River (Toledo, Ohio)
indicate significant decreases in nitrate and total phosphorus. These results may
reflect a decreased nutrient load from the Maumee River watershed. The data also
revealed decreasing trends in pH and alkalinity, suggesting that some acidification.
DO is decreasing while BOD is increasing through time, indicating an increase in the
amount of biologically oxidizable organic matter in the Maumee River, estuary. DO
levels in the lower Maumee River frequently violate I3C water quality objectives. No
significant trends were evident for temperature, conductivity, turW3Ity, TDS, or
ammonia.
-94-
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Because of the estuarine conditions at the mouth of the Maumee River, samples
taken there may be poor indicators of Maumee River nutrient and sediment loads. It is
noteworthy that the Maumee River carries about 38% as much nitrate asrthe Detroit
*}
River although its average discharge at 2200 m /sec is only 3% of the Detroit River
flow. Historical records for nitrate concentrations in the Maumee River also show a
significant increase.
Data collected from the Cleveland, Ohio Crown water intake from 1974 to 1980
indicated significant increases in temperature, alkalinity, total organic carbon, and
fecal conforms, as well as significant decreases in pH and turbidity. No signficiant
trend was evident in DO, conductivity, nitrates, ammonia, total phosphorus, or
chloride. Thus the water quality at this location does not appear to be changed greatly
over the period of record.
Erie, Pennsylvania water intake data show a significant decrease in pH,
alkalinity, total and fecal coliforms, iron, and chloride values. No significant trends
were evident for temperature or total phosphorus values. The only parameters which
indicated an increase through time were DO and turbidity.
Data from the Black Rock Canal at Buffalo, New York (discharge of the Buffalo
River) indicated a significant increase in pH and a significant decrease in chlorides.
No other changes were evident indicating no detectable changes in water quality
parameters over the period of record (1969-1980). Decreasing trends in pH, organic
nitrogen and chlorides were found for the Niagara River downstream from the Black
Rock Canal. Soluble phosphorus was the only parameter for which an increasing trend
was discerned. No significant trend could be found for temperature, alkalinity,
conductivity, turbidity, BOD, nitrates, ammonia, total coliforms, phenols, or iron. The
Niagara River at Lake Ontario showed no significant increase or decrease in pH,
alkalinity, DO, turbidity, organic nitrogen, nitrate, ammonia, total coliforms, or iron.
The only significant trends which could be discerned were an increase in temperature
and decreases in conductivity and chloride. Thus, in these respects, the Niagara River
system does not appear to have changed significantly during the last decade.
-QS-
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Toxic Substances
Toxic pollutants are introduced to Lake Erie through municipal and industrial
point source wastewater discharges, atmospheric deposition, and-*_urban and
agricultural land runoff. In Lake Erie, interlake transfer via the connected channels
(Detroit and Niagara rivers) can also be a significant source of contaminants.
Preliminary data indicate that nine heavy meals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Ag and
Zn) and six organic pollutants (benzene, chloroform, methylene chloride, bis [2
ethylexyl] phthalate, tetrachloroethylene, and toluene) were found in nearly all
effluents from major municipal wastewater treatment plants in the Lake Erie basin.
The International Joint Commission (1979) has compiled an inventory of the major
municipal and industrial point source discharges to Lake Erie. The total annual load to
Lake Erie from these sources for four trace metals is summarized below:
Annual Trace Metals Loading to Lake Erie
Metal Municipal Sources Industrial Sources
(metric tons) (metric tons)
Zn 228.2 148.6
Pb 50.7 38.2
Cu 50.7 43.4
Cd 15.2 0.3
Data from the 1979 main lake surface sediment survey indicate that some metals
are highly concentrated offshore from tributary mouths near major industrial areas.
Lead, nickel, copper, silver, vanadium, mercury (Figure 41), zinc, cadmium, and
-96-
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MERCURY IN SURFACE SEDIMENT 1970
(THOMAS AND JAQUET 1976)
MERCURY IN SURFACE SEDIMENTS 1979
(USEPA/GLNPO)
LESS THAN 30°
1000 - 2000
GREATER THAN 2000
FIGURE ill. COMPARISON OF MERCURY CONCENTRATION IN 1.AKE ERIE
SEDIMENTS FOR 1970 AND 1979.
-------
chromium show elevated levels offshore from the Detroit River. Mercury (Figure
is also high along the Pennsylvania/New York shoreline. Zinc and cadmium show high
concentrations off Cleveland, Ohio and Eric, Pennsylvania. Chromium, is also high
near Buffalo, New York. The distribution of metal in the open lake sediments
indicated highest mean concentrations corresponding to the major depositional zones
particularly evident in the sink areas of the central and eastern basins. It is evident
that the western basin sediments are eventually transported into the adjoining basins
with the net movement from west to east.
Drynan (1982) points out that combined sewer overflows are an additional point
source of toxic substances for which little or no information is currently available. It
is very difficult to sample and obtain flow measurements for these highly variable
discharges in order to make estimates of the total quantities of pollutants they
introduce into the lakes. In some of the major metropolitan areas, such as Detroit and
Cleveland, with combined sewers these discharges may be significant, particularly in
terms of local water quality impacts. However, neither these contributions to total
pollutant loadings nor impacts to whole lake water quality have been quantified.
With further controls on point source discharges, it is becoming increasingly
apparent that diffuse sources, urban and agricultural land drainage, and long range
atmospheric transport and deposition must be given more consideration in water
quality management plans. Although the quantification of atmospheric deposition of
trace metals and organic substances to Lake Erie is hampered by a number of
problems, Drynan (1982) concluded that it is possible to use approximations of wet and
dry components to estimate total deposition. His estimates for selected airborne
substances are summarized below:
-98-
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Annual Deposition of Airborne Substances in Lake Erie
Trace
Metal
Pb
Cu
Cd
Ni
Fe
Al
Mn
Zn
Metric
Tons
75*
151
75
75
3,270
*
*
*
Organic
Compound
Total PCB
Total DDT
a-BHC
Y-BHC
Dieldrin
HCB
p,p' Methoxychlor
a-Endosulfan
/3-Endosulfan
Total PAH
Metric
Tons
3.1
0.19
1.1
5.0
0.17
0.53
2.6
2.5
2.5
51.0
Organic
Compound
Anthracene
Phenanthrene
Pyrene
Benz(a) athracene
Perylene
Benzo(a) pyrene
DBP
DEHP
Total organic carbon
Metric
Tons
1.5
1.5
2.6
1.3
1.5
2.5
5.0
5.0
66,000
*Estimates not possible from available data
Shipboard collection of aerosol samples was undertaken as part of the Lake Erie
Intensive Study to assess the contribution of atmospheric dry loading of aerosol trace
elements and nutrients to the lake (Sievering 1982). Preliminary estimates of loading
to Lake Erie are summarized below:
Annual Atmospheric Dry Loading to Lake Erie
Element
Pb
Zn
Cd
Cu
Metric Tons
4-9
75-175
4-9
3-7
Element
Metric Tons
Cr
Ni
SO,
5-12
4-8
30,000-70,000
The range in values shown are considered to be the 25% and 75% confidence limits of
these estimates.
Sediment cores taken at the mouth of the Detroit River and in western Lake Erie
in 1971 yielded surface mercury values up to 3.8 ppm and generally decreased in
_qq-
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concentration exponentially with depth (Figure 41). High surface values were
attributed to waste discharge from chlor-alkali plants on the Detroit and St. Clair
rivers which operated during the period 1950 to 1970. Several years aftet these plants
ceased operation the area was again cored with analyses showing that retent deposits
covered the highly contaminated sediment with a thin layer of new material which had
nrercury concentrations approaching background levels (0.1 ppm). As a result of these
discharges, mercury in fish of Lake St. Clair and western Lake Erie was a major
contaminant problem in the early 1970s. Levels of total mercury in walleye
(Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) collected from Lake St. Clair have declined from over
2 ug/g in 1970 to 0.5 ug/g in 1980. In western Lake Erie, 1968 levels of mercury were
0.84 ug/g as compared to only 0.31 ug/g in 1976. The rapid environmental response
subsequent to the cessation of the point source discharges at Sarnia, Ontario and
Wyandott, Michigan can be attributed to rapid flushing of the St. Clair-Detroit River
system, the high load of suspended sediment delivered to western Lake Erie, and the
high rate of productivity in the western basin (International Joint Commission 1981).
Fish contaminant surveys of Lake Erie and its tributaries in the late 1970s
indicate few contamination problems, and these are usually associated with site
specific areas. The highest concentration and the greatest number of organochlorine
contaminants in fish samples were found in the River Raisin and the Maumee River.
Excessive concentrations (i.e. 1.0 ppm for pesticides, 5.0 ppm for total PCBs) of the
following contaminants were found: a-BHC (Ashtabula River) and total PCBs (River
Raisin, Maumee River, and Sandusky River). All other contaminants were at low
concentrations (less than 1.0 ppm). Levels of PCB and DDT in spottail shiners
(Notropis hudsonius) and in herring gull (Larus argentatus) eggs have declined in the
past decade, illustrating a system-wide response to controls on production and use of
these compounds. PCB levels in shiners at Point Pelee, Ontario, dropped from 844
ng/g in 1975 to 150 ng/g in 1980 while during the same period DDT fell from 92 to 21
ng/g. At Port Colborne, Ontario, gull eggs showed similar declines in PCB and DDT
residues, but of a lesser magnitude (International Joint Commission 1981).
Public Health
Bacteria contaminated wastewater inputs to the lake pose a direct health hazard
near metropolitan centers such as Port Clinton, Lorain, Cleveland, Dunkirk, Buffalo,
-100-
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Port Stanley, and Port Burwell. As seen below, studies by USEPA/GLNPO show
approximately 16% of all beaches along the Lake Erie shore were either permanently
or temporarily restricted from use, particularly for water contact _ recreational
activities, during the period 1978-1981: -
Lake Erie Recreational Beaches
Beaches Temporarily Beaches
Beaches Closed or Permanently
Jurisdiction Monitored Restricted Closed
Michigan 7
Ohio 52
Pennsylvania 40
New York 26
Ontario 4
0
8
1
5
2
0
4
0
0
0
In the past decade, significant progress has been made in removing bacterial
contamination from the shoreline. In the late 1960s, 11 bathing beaches on the United
States side of the lake were posted unsafe because of high bacterial contamination.
Another 12 beaches were deemed as questionable because of moderate bacterial
pollution and 27 were considered generally safe with only slight pollution. Only three
beaches were found to be uncontaminated throughout the swimming season (FWPCA
1968b). By contrast, the above data show that over 100 beaches are now safe. For
example, in the late 1970s the beach at Sterling State Park (near Monroe, Michigan),
after a 20-year closure, was reopened when coliform bacteria levels reached
compliance for body contact recreation. The major bacterial problems that still
persist are often associated with storm water overflows, such as at Cleveland, Ohio
where heavy flows are delivered directly to the Cuyahoga River, contaminating the
nearshore waters surrounding the metropolitan area.
-101-
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Land Use Activities
The United States portion of the Lake Erie basin includes 12.5 million acres (5.1
million hectares), of which over half is cropland. In the western portion of the basin,
nearly 70 percent of the land is cropland. The soils of this area are favofable for row
crop production with corn and soybeans dominating cropland usage. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineer's Lake Erie Wastewater Management Study (Yaksich 1982) showed
that the effect of land use activities on water quality is a complex relationship,
although the following generalizations were confirmed and recommendations proposed:
1. The rivers which drain into western and central Lake Erie are hydrologically
active throughout their entire watersheds and contribute diffuse loads of
phosphorus to the lake.
2. The mean ratio of total phosphorus to suspended solids in northwestern Ohio
streams was 2.17 g/kg. Of this total, 25% was soluble phosphorus, which
was readily available for algal growth, and 75% was particulate phosphorus,
which is partially available. In general, higher concentrations of suspended
solids resulted in lower phosphorus to suspended solids ratios.
3. Particulate and soluble phosphorus entering stream systems disappears
rapidly from flowing water; however, it is resuspended and transported
downstream as particulate phosphorus during later storm events. Therefore,
the process of transporting phosphorus from basin cropland to Lake Erie may
require a considerable period of time.
4. The western basin and southwestern portion of the central basin of Lake
Erie have algal growth problems which will require phosphorus reductions in
addition to those being provided (or projected) by point source removal. A
program for control of phosphorus from diffuse sources is therefore
recommended which has the lowest cost per unit quantity of phosphorus
stopped from reaching the lake. Conservation tillage on suitable soils is the
most cost-effective means of reducing sediment phosphorus loads to Lake
Erie. -
-102-
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5. The implementation of a conservation tillage program could ultimately
achieve a 2,000 mt/yr reduction in total phosphorus loading to Lake Erie.
The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978 calls for an additional
target phosphorus reduction for Lake Erie of 2,000 metric tons per year
beyond the achievement of a 1.0 mg/1 effluent concentration for all
municipal wastewater treatment plants currently discharging more than 1
million gallons per day. The United States portion of this reduction should
be 1,700 mt/yr. A conservation tillage program will more than reach this
goal at a benefit/cost ratio of 10:1.
6. A new base-year tributary phosphorus load to Lake Erie should be
recognized; inclusion of tributary monitoring data from 1978-1980 in the
computation gives a base-year total phosphorus load of 16,455 mt/yr. When
the 1.0 mg/1 effluent limitation has been achieved the total phosphorus load
to Lake Erie will be 15,025 mt/yr. At that time an additional phosphorus
reduction of 4,025 mt/yr (not 2,000 mt/yr as stated above) will be required
to meet the 11,000 metric tons per year total loading objective of the Water
Quality Agreement. The United States allocation of this reduction objective
should be approximately 2,800 mt/yr. To reach this reduction objective, an
additional 770 mt/yr in reductions beyond the Agreement program must be
achieved through point source controls beyond the 1.0 mg/1 effluent
limitation. This would cost an estimated $5 million annually. The
benefit/cost ratio of a conservation tillage program is 17:1 compared to a
program requiring the entire reduction to be achieved by point source
control.
7. Relatively small amounts of agricultural pesticides reach water bodies via
runoff (normally less than 2% of the application or as high as 6% after
intense rainfall). Pesticides generally used in the Lake Erie basin are not
inhibitory to invertebrates or fish at runoff concentrations; however, algae
and aquatic macrophytes may be inhibited at stream concentrations. The
increased usage of pesticides with conservation tillage is not expected to
result in increased pesticide runoff since erosion and runoff would be
decreased. ~
-103-
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Lake Responses to Remedial Actions
The water from Lake Erie sustains the vast industrial complex which extends
from Detroit to Buffalo. Water returned to the lake is highly enriched by municipal,
agricultural, and industrial waste products. Studies conducted in the_late 1920s
revealed that the lake was already moderately rich in nutrients and was experiencing
phytoplankton blooms in its western basin. Adjacent to the Detroit River mouth,
pollution-sensitive mayflies were being replaced by tubificid worms. By the mid-1950s
thermal stratification was resulting in oxygen depletion in the bottom water and
mayfly nymphs suffered catastrophic mortality. The concentration of all the major
ions, including nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, showed a marked increase
during this period of time.
In the early 1960s Lake Erie gained the reputation as a "dead lake" with its
western basin the consistency of "pea soup" due to dense algal mats which left green
wakes behind motorboats. Most municipal beaches were closed owing to high coliform
bacteria counts or were rendered unusable by reeking masses of decaying algae
(largely Cladophora glomerata). One of its major tributaries, the Cuyahoga River, was
so polluted by industrial wastes that it periodically caught fire. Anoxia in the central
basin had caused the extirpation of virtually all cold-water fish species, and detergent
foam at the eastern end of the lake resulted in a disgusting spectacle in the plunge
pool of Niagara Falls.
The concept of nutrient control for Lake Erie appears to have had its origin in
1965, when the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare convened a
conference on the pollution of Lake Erie and its tributaries under the authority
granted in the Water Pollution Control Act of 1961. One of the recommendations
forthcoming from the conference was that a "technical committee" be established to
evaluate water quality problems related to nutrients in Lake Erie and to make
recommendations to the conferees. In late 1965, the Lake Erie Enforcement Technical
Committee was formally established to explore the problems related to nutrients and
over-enrichment of Lake Erie. The committee received information and advice from
leading authorities in water-oriented disciplines. After a year of study, a final report
was issued which concluded that the major pollution problems in Lake Erie result
directly or indirectly from excess algae and that these growths are Stimulated by
nutrients resulting from human activities.
-104-
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The technical committee recommended that water quality objectives be
established that would prevent nuisance algae conditions, particularly by lowering the
phosphate and nitrogen levels in the lake. The committee further recommended that
new treatment processes be developed and employed to effect high phosphate removal.
Based on these recommendations the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
(FWPCA), later the Federal Water Quality Administration (FWQA), and more recently
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as state and local agencies, have
embarked on a program to control the flow of nutrients and toxic substances to Lake
Erie. The necessity for this control was reinforced by findings of the International
Joint Commission, resulting in the Canada-United States Water Quality Agreements of
1972 and 1978.
Nature of remedial actions. Today Lake Erie is beginning to respond to massive
clean-up efforts started two decades ago. New sewage treatment plants have been
constructed throughout the drainage basin and old plants have been modified to
remove phosphates through tertiary treatment. Industries have been forced to reduce
waste loads to the lake or in some instances cease operation, as in the case of chlor-
alkali plants which discharged excessive amounts of waste mercury. Production and
use of several toxic organic compounds have been banned. Agricultural practices are
being modified to lessen soil loss to tributaries and to reduce fertilizer and pesticide
requirements. The more significant actions include the following:
1. Detergent Modifications
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the province of Ontario and all of the
Great Lakes states, with the exception of Ohio and Pennsylvania, enacted
legislation limiting the amount of phosphorus permitted in household
detergents. A concentration of 0.5% phosphorus is permitted in the United
States and 2.2% in Canada. In Ohio, where no controls are in effect,
phosphorus concentrations of 5.5% are typical.
2. Point source controls
The most significant improvement in lowering phosphorus delivery to Lake
Erie has been made in the loading from point sources. The" point source
loading has decreased from 11,900 mt/yr in 1970 to 4,500 mt/yr in 1980, as a
-------
result of the implementation of phosphorus effluent limitations to 1.0 mg/1
at wastewater treatment plants (Yaksich 1982). In 1971, total phosphorus
loading from the Detroit River accounted for 67% of the total load to the
lake; by 1980, improvements in treatment had lowered this to_37% (Table
I 15). :
3. Soil conservation
The practice of conservation tillage has expanded rapidly in the Lake Erie
basin throughout the last decade. In the early 1970s little conservation
tillage was in use, but by 1981, reduced tillage was being practiced on 22%
of the basin's cropland, and no tillage was used on 4%. Besides changing
tillage, several other agricultural practices (e.g. method of fertilizer
application, pesticide usage, planting techniques, and establishing green-
belts along streams) have been altered, resulting in less soil loss and some
reduction of phosphorus deliver to the lake.
4. Fishery management
Several fish species have been extirpated from Lake Erie as a result of
environmental changes, over-exploitation, or a combination of these factors.
Prudent management programs, such as the suspension of commercial
fishing for selected species, have enhanced the population of sport fish.
Commercial and recreational harvests, environmental changes and
management programs will continue to affect the fish community as a
whole. To a large extent, the structure of Lake Erie's fish community in the
future will depend to a large degree on public perception of what structure
would be most economically advantageous.
Positive responses. Annual monitoring programs initiated in the early 1970s,
coupled with observations during the 1978-1979 Intensive Study, are beginning to
provide some evidence of water quality improvement and possible lake recovery. The
first signs of a positive response to remedial programs have not been dramatic, but
considering that the pollution of the lake also took place over many decades, a rapid
recovery should not be expected. Some of the most promising indicators of improved
lake conditions are presented below. Cause and effect relationships for all of these
-106-
-------
changes are not well understood nor can these changes be attributed to specific
remedial actions:
1. Lake Levels
" Water levels in Lake Erie during the past decade have averaged 0.5 m
~~ above the 1960-1970 levels. The difference between the lowest year (1964)
and the highest year (1973) was 1.1 m, an increase of approximately 7% in
volume. The dilution effect of more upper Great Lakes water flowing into
Lake Erie, coupled with greater submergence of algal attachment sites, is
thought to be partially responsible for the absence of basin-wide algal
blooms and massive growths of the filamentous algae, Cladophora, that were
so prevalent in the mid-1960s.
2. Dissolved Substances
Nearshore records for the period 1900 to 1960 in central Lake Erie show
dramatic increases in conductivity, chloride, calcium, sulfate, and sodium
plus potassium (Beeton 1961 and 1965). From 1966 to 1980 conductivity
(Figure 20) values indicate a decline in the total amount of dissolved
substances in central Lake Erie, falling approximately 8% during this period.
Chloride (Figure 20) shows a more dramatic improvement, dropping about
26% from a concentration of 25.0 mg/1 in 1966 to 18.4 mg/1 in 1979. Much
of this decline can be attributed to elimination of waste brine pollution from
the Grand River near Painesville, Ohio in the early 1970s. In the eastern
basin, Presque Isle Bay at Erie, Pennsylvania, has experienced a marked
decrease in alkalinity (largely bicarbonate ions) falling from 96 ppm in 1945
to 87 ppm in 1978. Other conservative ions (i.e. calcium, sodium, and sulfate)
have ceased to increase in the lake and have remained relatively stable over
the past decade.
3. Phosphorus Loading
Loading of total phosphorus to Lake Erie declined markedly during the
past decade. The 1971 loading to the entire lake, from all sources except
shore erosion, was approximately 18,800 metric tons. By 1980, the total
phosphorus load had decreased to an estimated 13,500 metric tons. The
-------
Detroit River, which supplies about 90% of the inflowing water to Lake Erie,
has shown a remarkable improvement; phosphorus loadings decreased 60%
during the same period, primarily as a result of improvements to the Detroit
wastewater treatment plant. -~
In the early 1970s, the concentration of phosphorus in influent wastewater
to municipal treatment plants averaged about 10 mg/1 within the Lake Erie
drainage basin and the mean effluent concentration was approximately 7 mg/1.
By 1980, many plants had installed phosphorus removal systems which resulted
in an average effluent concentration of 1.6 mg/1 for all Ohio plants and
concentrations as low as 0.6 mg/1 for the Detroit sewage treatment plant in
1982 (Drynan 1982).
4. Phosphorus Concentrations
Concentrations of total phosphorus in western Lake Erie have not declined
as noticeably as loadings, but some improvement has been documented for the
north shore of the western basin (Figure 31). Elsewhere in the lake
concentration have been relatively stable since 1970. If the monitored
phosphorus concentration decreases are representative of the total load
coming from that source, the lake water quality should eventually improve
with diminished concentrations of phosphorus and chlorophyll.
5. Hypolimnion Oxygen
In the central basin of Lake Erie, the rate of hypolimnetic oxygen
depletion more than doubled between 1930 and the mid-1970's. In 1930, the
volumetric rate has been estimated at 0.054 mg/l/day (Dobson and Gilbertson
1971), while in 1974 it was measured at 0.130 mg/l/day. During the same
2
period the area of the basin subjected to anoxic conditions rose from 300 km
in 1930 to 10,250 km in 1974. Cruises conducted from 1980 to 1982 show that
the demand rate has dropped to an average of 0.101 mg/l/day and the area of
2
anoxia has been reduced to 4,870 km .
-108-
-------
6. Toxic Metals and Organic Compounds
Sediment cores taken at the mouth of the Detroit River and in western
Lake Erie in 1971 yielded surface mercury concentrations up to 3.8 ppm
(Walter et al. 1974) and generally decreased exponentially with depth to
background concentrations of less than 0.1 ppm. High surface values were
attributed to waste discharge during the period 1950 to 1970 from chlor-alkali
plants on the Detroit and St. Clair rivers. In 1977, several years after these
plants ceased operation the area was again cored. Analyses showed that
recent deposits were covering the highly contaminated sediment with a thin
layer of new material which had mercury concentrations approaching
background levels (Wilson and Walters 1978).
Mercury in fish of Lake St. Clair and western Lake Erie was a major
contaminant problem in the early 1970s. Levels of total mercury in walleye
(Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) collected from Lake St. Clair have declined
from over 2 ug/g in 1970 to 0.5 ug/g in 1980. In western Lake Erie, 1968 levels
of mercury were 0.84 ug/g as compared to only 0.31 ug/g in 1976 (International
3oint Commission 1981). The rapid environmental response subsequent to the
cessation of the point source discharges at Sarnia, Ontario and Wyandott,
Michigan can be attributed to rapid flushing of the St. Clair-Detroit River
system and the high load of suspended sediment delivered to western Lake
Erie.
Levels of PCB and DDT in spottail shiners (Notropis hudsonius) and in
herring gull (Larus argentatus) eggs have declined in the past decade,
illustrating a system-wide response to controls on production and use of these
compounds. PCB levels in shiners at Point Pelee dropped from 844 ng/g in
1975 to 150 ng/g in 1980 while during the same period DDT fell from 92 to 21
ng/g (International 3oint Commission 1981). At Port Colborne, gull eggs
showed similar declines in PCB and DDT residues, but lesser in magnitude.
7. Algal Density and Composition
The basin-wide blooms of planktonic blue-green algae (Microcystis,
Aphanizomenon and Anabaena) in western Lake Erie and massive growths of an
-109-
-------
attached, filamentous green algae (Cladophora glomerata) which were so
prevalent in the mid-1960s, have decreased in intensity and number in the
1970s. No basin-wide blooms have been reported in recent years. Open lake
phytoplankton analysis between 1970 and 1980 indicates a reduction in total
phytoplankton biomass and a composition shift toward more oligotrophic
species. Eutrophic species (i.e. Melosira granulata, Stephanodiscus tenius and
S. niagara) were less abundant in 1979 than in 1970, and oligotrophic species
(i.e. Dinobryon divergens and Ochromonas scintillans) were first observed in
1979 (International Joint Commission 1981; Munawar 1981).
8. Benthic Communities
The composition of the benthic macroinvertebrate communities of
western Lake Erie has improved since 1967. Samples taken in 1979, when
compared with 1967 data, showed that the bottom is still dominated by
pollution tolerant tubificids (i.e. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, L. cervix and L.
maumeensis); however, other less tolerant taxa of tubificids (i.e. Peloscolex
spp.) were also common. The density of tubific worms declined sharply at the
2 2
mouth of the Detroit River between 1967 (13,000/m ) and 1979 (2,400/m ),
while the number at the mouth of the Maumee River has remained constant.
Midge (Chironomidae) larvae represented only 6% of the western basin benthic
population in 1967 but rose to 20% by 1979 (Ontario Ministry of the
Environment 1981), replacing some of the tubificids.
A modest reestablishment of the burrowing mayfly (Hexagenia limbata)
has been observed at the mouth of the Detroit River and adjacent areas of
western Lake Erie. This species was extirpated from the western basin in the
mid-1950s following periods of anoxia in this normally unstratified portion of
the lake. Prior to 1953, bottom sediments yielded about 400 nymphs per
square meter in the Bass Islands region (Britt 1956 and 1973). Following the
catastrophic kills of the 1950s, no Hexagenia nymphs were found in Lake Erie
sediments for over 20 years. In 1979, 20 nymphs were collected near the
mouth of the Detroit River (Ontario Ministry of the Environment 1981) and for
the past several years a small emergence of adults has been observed on South
Bass Island.
-1 in-
-------
9. Fishery
The annual sport angler harvest of fish in the Ohio waters of Lake Erie
has increased from 5.2 million kg in 1975 to 7.3 million kg in 1952, an increase
of 40% (Ohio Division of Wildlife 1983). During this eight-year period, yellow
perch (Perca flavescens) harvests rose from 3.7 million kg to 5.5 million kg,
_ while walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) production jumped from 0.5
million kg to 1.4 million kg. The increased walleye production has been
attributed to good young-of-the-year recruitment and international
management approaches to control sport and commercial harvests. The
abundance of walleye within western Lake Erie also increased dramatically
from 1970 to 1982. During the 1960s and early 1970s the "fishable" population
of walleye, 14.5 inches (36.8 cm) in length and larger, was estimated at or
below two million individuals. In 1982, the fishable population in western Lake
Erie was estimated at over 25 million walleye (Ohio Division of Wildlife 1983).
10. Bathing Beaches
In 1967, 11 Lake Erie bathing beaches on the United States side of the
lake were posted unsafe because of high bacterial contamination (FWPCA
1968b). Another 12 beaches were deemed as questionable because of moderate
bacterial pollution and 27 were considered generally safe with only slight
pollution. In 1967, only 3 beaches were found to be uncontaminated
throughout the swimming season. By contrast, in 1981, only 4 beaches were
closed throughout the year, 8 were open for restricted use and 76 were open as
safe, uncontaminated beaches.
Continuing and emerging problems. The only major open water quality objective
for which compliance has not been met is dissolved oxygen of the hypolimnion in central
Lake Erie. The Water Quality Agreement calls for year-round aerobic conditions. The
attempt to control anoxia in Lake Erie has been through the implementation of
secondary and tertiary treatment at United States municipal sewage plants, phosphorus
removal to 1.0 mg/1 at sewage treatment plants larger than 1 mgd in the Lake Erie basin,
limitations on phosphorus in detergents, and control of diffuse source inputs.' The target
load for these phosphorus controls is 11,000 mt/yr as determined by the mathematical
models of DeToro and Connolly (1980).
-------
The 1978 Water Quality Agreement requires the development of new phosphorus
target loads and the allocation of these loads between Canada and the United States. As
part of this negotiation process, base phosphorus loadings ("base loads") were developed
for-the lower Great Lakes. The base load for Lake Erie, which is an estimate of the
expected phosphorus load to the lake if the phosphorus concentrations in all municipal
wastewater discharges were at 1.0 mg/1 and if average conditions existed for land runoff,
atmospheric, and upstream inputs, is established at 12,856 mt/yr (International Joint
Commission 1981). The Lake Erie Wastewater Management Study (Yaksich 1982),
however, recommends that a new base-year load of 16,455 mt/yr be accepted based on
1978-1980 tributary loading data (see Land Use Activities section).
In the nearshore regions of Lake Erie, several areas were found not to be in
compliance with Water Quality Agreement objectives. Table 18 provides a list of
violations for specific areas of concern. The following general problem regions have ben
identified:
1. Ohio and Michigan nearshore regions of western Lake Erie, particularly in the
vicinity of major harbors, had persistent violations of DO, ammonia, fecal
coliforms, total phosphorus, and several trace metals.
2. Ohio and Pennsylvania nearshore regions of central Lake Erie, particularly at
the major river mouths, have persistent violations of conductivity and the
three trace metals, cadmium, copper, and zinc.
3. Pennsylvania and New York nearshore regions of eastern Lake Erie were
relatively free of violations except for Erie Harbor where fecal coliform
numbers were high in late summer.
4. Ontario nearshore regions throughout the lake were generally in compliance
with only minor violations at tributaries and ports.
Emerging problems are difficult to assess, particularly with lack of comprehensive
data on the nature of toxic organic compounds in the water, sediment ancTbiota of Lake
Erie. Problems associated with toxic compounds are most likely to emerge in the
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nearshore waters, especially harbors such as Monroe, Toledo, Lorain, Cleveland,
Ashtabula, Erie, and Buffalo, where preliminary indications have been observed.
- Another problem of a totally different nature may also present itself by the end of
the "decade. Lake Erie sport fish production is at an all-time high. This production,
primarily in the western basin and along the south shore of the central basin, is nurtured
by high nutrient concentrations and associated primary/secondary productivity. As
phosphorus controls become more and more effective in limiting algal production, which
is needed to reduce the anoxic region of the central basin hypolimnion, the food for such
important fish species as walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) and yellow perch (Perca
flavescens) may be eroded. As the 1980s proceed, it will become increasingly important
to consider the balance between western basin fish production and central basin
hypolimnion oxygen content.
-1 ifi-
-------
RECOMMENDATIONS
~ During the 1970s Lake Erie reached stable conditions and in the early 1980s it has
shown signs of improvement: nutrient loadings are declining, phosphorus concentrations
in the lake are dropping, some sources of contamination by toxic substances are being
checked, levels of contaminants in lake sediments and biota are subsiding, "clean water"
forms of plankton and benthos are showing modest signs of recovery, and fish populations
are rebounding. However, cause and effect relationships of all of these changes are not
obvious, most of the improvements have been small, and for many parameters,
conclusive trends have yet to be established. Nonetheless, evidence for improvement is
beginning to mount and it is becoming obvious to scientists, fishermen and shoreline
dwellers alike that Lake Erie is recovering. The extent of future improvements will
depend on continuing efforts to control loading of nutrients and toxic substances to the
lake, particularly those associated with industrial and agricultural practices.
Surveillance of Lake Erie water, biota, and sediment conditions must continue if we are
to establish clear relationships between remedial actions and lake quality.
The 1978-1979 Lake Erie Intensive Study has provided the most comprehensive set
of data available for Lake Erie. However, many questions remain unanswered,
particularly in reference to the loading of toxic substances to the lake and its ecological
impact. Many cause and effect relationships in the lake are poorly understood as are
effects of specific remedial actions. To improve our understanding of this complex
system and to eventually improve the quality of Lake Erie the following surveillance
activities, remedial actions, evaluations, and special studies are recommended:
Surveillance
1. A comprehensive surveillance for Lake Erie should be conducted on an annual
basis and should contain the following components: a) main lake, b) nearshore
areas of concern, c) water intakes, d) tributaries and connecting channels, e)
point sources, f) atmospheric deposition, g) beaches, and h) bio-monitoring.
-117-
-------
2. Main lake surveillance should be conducted in spring, summer and fall to
determine a) the seasonal concentration and quantity of nutrients in each
basin, b) the oxygen depletion rate and area of anoxia in the central basin, and
c) seasonal biomass, including Cladophora. ~
3. Nearshore areas of concern should be stressed in an annual monitoring program
owing to the fact that these areas are the most highly impacted (or potentially
impacted) areas within the lake, particularly in terms of toxic substances.
4. Water intake monitoring should be integrated into the nearshore surveillance
effort at areas of concern.
5. Because of the increasing importance of diffuse source loading to Lake Erie,
surveillance of major tributaries and connecting channels should be expanded
to include both periodic and event sampling (i.e. Detroit, Raisin, Maumee,
Sandusky, Black, Rocky, Cuyahoga, Grand of Ohio, Ashtabula, Buffalo,
Grand of Ontario and Niagara rivers).
6. Point sources, particularly wastewater treatment plants, should be
monitored routinely to ascertain compliance with Water Quality Agreement
objectives.
7. Atmospheric deposition (wet and dry) monitoring should be continued within
the Lake Erie drainage basin.
8. Because of the obvious public health hazards, Lake Erie bathing beaches
should be monitored for bacterial contamination throughout the summer
season.
9. Bio-monitoring programs should be expanded to detect a wider array of
toxic substances in Lake Erie biota (e.g. young-of-the-year spottail shiners
and Cladophora).
-118-
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10. Future intensive studies should not be necessary if a flexible annual
surveillance plan is adopted which is reviewed and modified each year to
address continuing and emerging problems.
Remedial Actions
1. The agricultural community should be encouraged to adopt conservation
tillage or no-tillage practices on all suitable soils within the Lake Erie
drainage basin.
2. As specified in the Water Quality Agreement of 1978, actions should be
taken to ensure that all municipal wastewater treatment plants within the
Lake Erie drainage basin which discharge in excess of 1 mgd are operated so
that total phosphorus concentrations in their effluents do not exceed a
maximum concentration of 1.0 mg/1.
3. States not presently limiting the amount of phosphorus in household
detergents should enact legislation which permits no more than 0.5% P.
4. Special efforts should be undertaken to identify and control sources of toxic
substances, including in situ toxicant sources from sediments.
5. Education programs should be developed for specific land use activities (i.e.
agri-business, urban development, industry, recreation) to foster pollution
control.
6. If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers calculations for base load are correct,
then there needs to be an intensified effort to identify cost effective means
of reducing phosphorus loads, beyond the present goals.
Evaluation
1. Future evaluations of water quality violations should be related to impaired
use of the lake (e.g. beaches, water supply, fishery)
-119-
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2. The Lake Erie surveillance plan should be reviewed and evaluated annually
to ascertain if it is providing the necessary information for designing
effective management actions.
3. Before new surveillance plans are developed, a careful evaluation of past
- data and statistical techniques should be undertaken to more clearly
understand apparent trends, or lack thereof, in lake conditions and biota.
4. Once new surveillance programs are implemented they should be reviewed
annually to determine their effectiveness in evaluating remedial programs.
Special Studies
1. Studies should be continued to determine the ecological impact to Lake Erie
of herbicide and insecticide runoff from conservation tillage cropland.
2. Studies should be continued to determine the relative availability of the
various forms of phosphorus for biological productivity.
3. Studies should be initiated to determine the role of hypolimnetic phosphorus
regeneration and wave resuspension as a mechanism for internal loading.
In order for any of these recommendations to be fully effective, it is important
that an international body (i.e. International Joint Commission) assume a leadership
role in planning, organizing, and securing funds to implement those actions which are
deemed necessary to enhance the quality of the Great Lakes. A greater degree of
cooperation is required among federal and state agencies, research institutions and
resource users to effect the recovery of Lake Erie. The International Joint
Commission has a key role in fostering such cooperation.
-------
REFERENCES
Be&ton, A.M. 1961. Environmental changes in Lake Erie. Trans. Ame'r. Fish. Soc.
~ 90(2): 153-159.
Beeton, A.M. 1965. Eutrophication of the St. Lawrence Great Lakes. Limnol. and
Oceanogr. 10(2):2*0-25
-------
Dobson, H.H. and M. Gilbertson. 1971. Oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion of the
central basin of Lake Erie. Proc. 14th Conf. Great Lakes Res., Internat. Assoc.
Great Lakes Res. 1971: 743-748.
Dr-ynan, W.R. 1982. Pollution inputs to the Great Lakes. Oceans '82 Conference
Proceedings, Washington D.C. September 22, 1982. p. 1168-1172.
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration. 1968a. Lake Erie environmental
summary: 1963-1964. U.S. Dept. Interior, FWPCA. 107 p.
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration. 1968b. Lake Erie report: a plan for
water pollution control. FWPCA, Great Lakes Region. 107 p.
Fish, C.I. and Associates. 1960. Limnological survey of eastern and central Lake
Erie, 1928-1929. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Spec. Sci. Rept. - Fisheries No. 334.
198 p.
Frazer, A.S. and K.E. Willson. 1981. Loading estimates to Lake Erie 1967-1976.
National Water Research Institute, CCIW, Sci. Ser. 120. 23 p.
Hartley, R.P. and C.P. Potos. 1971. Algal-temperature-nutritional relationships and
distribution in Lake Erie 1968. U.S. Environ. Protection Agency. 87 p.
Herdendorf, C.E. 1970. Lake Erie physical limnology cruise, midsummer 1967. Ohio
Div. Geol. Survey Rept. Invest. 79. 77 p.
Herdendorf, C.E. (ed.) 1980. Lake Erie nutrient control program: an assessment of its
effectiveness in controlling lake eutrophication. U.S. Environ. Protection
Agency Pub. No. EPA-600/3-80-062. 354 p.
Herdendorf, C.E. 1982. Large lakes of the world. 3. Great Lakes Research 8(3):379-
412.
-122-
-------
In- ternational 3oint Commission. 1979. Inventory of major municipal and industrial
point source dischargers. IJC, Water Quality Board, Windsor, Ontario.
International Joint Commission. 1981. 1981 report on Great Lakes Water Quality,
- Appendix, Great Lakes Surveillance. IJC, Water Quality Board. 74 p.
M' jnawar, M. 1981. Response of nannoplankton and net plankton species to changing
water quality conditions. Department of Fish, and Oceans, CCIW, Research
Report. 20 p.
M jnawar, M. and I.F. Munawar. 1976. A lakewide study of phytoplankton biomass and
its species composition in Lake Erie, April-December 1970. 3. Fish. Res. Bd.
Can. 33:581-600.
O ^o Division of Wildlife. 1983. Status of Ohio's Lake Erie fisheries. Ohio Dept.
Natural Resources, Div. Wildlife, Lake Erie Fisheries Unit, Sandusky, Ohio. 21 p.
O- Tario Ministry of Environment. 1981. An assessment of bottom fauna and
sediments of the western basin of Lake Erie, 1979. OME, Water Resource
Assessment Unit and Great Lakes Survey Units. 8 p.
Silvering, H. 1982. Atmospheric loading of aerosol trace elements and nutrients to
Lake Erie. Executive Summary, Report to USEPA, Great Lakes National
Program Office. 4 p.
Thomas, N.A. 1963. Oxygen deficit rates for the central basin of Lake Erie. U.S.
Public Health Serv., Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center, Cincinnati. 8
P-
Thomas, N.A. 1975. Physical-chemical requirements. In Cladophora in the Great
Lakes. Shear, H. and D.E. Konasewich (ed.). International 3oint Commission,
Windsor, Ontario, p. 73-91.
-------
Thomas, R.L. and 3.-M. Jaquet. 1976. Mercury in the surficial sediments of Lake
Erie. 3. Fish. Res. Board Canada
Walter, C.3., T.L. Kovack and C.E. Herdendorf. 1974. Mercury Occurrence in
7 sediment cores from western Lake Erie. Ohio 3. Sci.
Wilson, 3. and L.3. Walter. 1978. Sediment-water-biomass interactions of toxic
metals in the western basin, Lake Erie. Ohio State University, Center for Lake
Erie Area Research Technical Rept. 96. 113 p.
Winklhofer, A.R. (ed.). 1978. Lake Erie surveillance plan. Prepared by Lake Erie
Work Group for the Surveillance Subcommittee, Implementation Committee,
Great Lakes Water Quality Board of the International 3oint Commission,
Windsor, Ontario. 182 p.
Yaksich, S.M. 1982. Lake Erie wastewater management study-final report. U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District. 223 p.
Zapotsky, 3.E. 1980. Transparency, conductivity, and temperature surveys in the
central and western basins of Lake Erie. U.S. Environ. Protection Agency. Pub.
No. EPA-600/3-80-062. p. 103-117.
Zapotsky, 3.E. and C.E. Herdendorf. 1980. Oxygen depletion and anoxia in the central
and western basins of Lake Erie, 1973-1975. U.S. Environ. Protection Agency.
Pub. No. EPA-600/3-80-062. p. 71-102.
Zapotsky, 3.E. and W.S. White. 1980. A reconnaissance survey for lightweight and
carbon tetrachloride extractable hydrocarbons in the central and eastern basins
of Lake Erie: September 1978. Argonne National Laboratory. ANL/ES-87. 150
P-
-124-
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APPENDIX A
LAKE ERIE INTENSIVE STUDY REPORTS *
PREPARED BY THE LAKE ERIE TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT TEAM
TAT
Cont.
No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
CLEAR
Tech.
Rept.
No.
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
Report Title
Introduction, Methods and Summary
Data Compatability Analysis
Main Lake Water Quality
Nearshore Water Quality
Nearshore Nutrient Distribution -
Detroit River to Huron, Ohio
Trace Metals in Main Lake and
Nearshore Waters
Microbiology in Main Lake and
Nearshore Waters
Main Lake and Nearshore Water
Quality Problem Areas
Water Quality Violations -
Detroit River to Huron, Ohio
Synoptic Mapping of Water Quality -
Western Basin
Water Quality Index Evaluation
Cluster Analysis of Nearshore
Principal
Author(s)
C.E. Herdendorf
P. Richards
D. Rathke
L. Fay
L. Fay
D. Rathke
3. Letterhos
C.L. Cooper
S. Hessler
C.L. Cooper
C. Kimerline
C.L. Cooper
A. Rush
W. Snyder
C.E. Herdendorf
L. Fay
Y. Hamdy
C.E. Herdendorf
3.3. Mizera
C.E. Herdendorf
C.E. Herdendorf
Water Masses
3.3. Mizera
-125-
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APPENDIX A CONT.
13.
1*.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
260
261
Nearshore Phytoplankton - Detroit
River to Huron, Ohio
Cladophora Surveillance Program -
Western Basin
Fisheries Status and Response
to Water Quality
Toxic Organic Contaminants in Fish
Nearshore Benthic Macroinvertebrates -
Detroit River to Huron, Ohio
Macroinvertebrates in Main Lake
and Nearshore Sediments
Annotated Bibliography of Lake Erie
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Main Lake Sediment Chemistry
Sediment Oxygen Demand
Historical Water Quality Trends -
Cleveland, Ohio
Nearshore Water Quality Trends
Main Lake Water Quality Trends
Nutrient Loading to Lake Erie and
Its Effect on Lake Biota
Lake Erie Intensive Study 1978-
1979 Final Report
Lake Erie Intensive Study 1978-
D.Z. Fisher
D. Rathke
R. Lorenz
C.E. Herdendorf
M.D. Barnes
B. Burby
M.D. Barnes
C.E. Herdendorf
G. Keeler
P.E. Steane
C.L. Cooper
G. Keeler
N. Carlson
J.3. Mizera
W. Davis
L. Fay
C.E. Herdendorf
P. Richards
A. Rush
C.L. Cooper
C.E. Herdendorf
L. Fay
K-P Chen
R. Sykes
D. Rathke et al.
C.E. Herdendorf
1979 -- Management Report
-------
APPENDIX B
LAKE ERIE INTENSIVE STUDY REPORTS CONTRIBUTED TO
THE LAKE ERIE TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT TEAM
A. Tributary Component Contributor Date
1. Monthly monitoring data (computer
print-out) for Clinton, Rouge,
Ecorse, Huron, Raisin Rivers, Vitelhic,
1978-1979 MDNR June 1981
2. Monthly monitoring data of Erie
County, Pa. tributaries: Walnut, Wellington,
Elk, Sixteen-mile (tabular data) ECDH Dec. 1980
3. Summary of phosphorus loading
data for 1978 collected by DC
Regional Office (computer
print-out)
Haffner,
DC-Windsor June 1980
*. Toledo Area River and Stream
Water Quality Data Report, Russell,
1968-197* (March, 1976) TPCA July 1980
5. Water quality data collected by
the Toledo Pollution Control
Agency at the C&O docks at the
mouth of the Maumee River, Russell,
1975-1981 (bench sheets) TPCA Feb. 1981
6. Estimation of tributary total
phosphorus load into Lake Erie,
evaluation of applicable models
7. Periodic tributary monitoring data
(computer print-out) of Lake Erie
tributary surveillance conducted
by the New York State Dept. of Maylath,
Environmental Conservation NYDEC Dec. 1980
Kuo-pin Chen,
OSU-TAT Dec. 1980
8. Summary of total phosphorus
loadings for the water years
1970 to 1977 for Canadian streams
draining into Lake Erie
Terry,
MOE
Feb.i981
-197-
-------
9. Total phosphorus loadings for the
water years 1978 and 1979 for the
Canadian streams draining into
Lake Erie
10. On Phosphorus and its avail-
ability in total loading into
Lake Erie, 1970-1980
Terry,
MOE
3an. 1981
Kuo-pin Chen,
OSU-TAT May 1981
B. Point Source Component
1. Summary of the phosphorus loading
data collected by the I3C Regional
Office for 1978
Haffner,
nC-Windsor June 1980
C. Atmospheric Component
1. Preliminary outline draft: final
report for 1979-1980: An experi- Sievering, Sept. 1982
mental study of Lake Loading by et al.
Air Pollution Transport and Dry Governors
Deposition' State Univ.
2. Summary of Great Lakes weather
and ice conditions, winter
1978-1979. Tech. Mem. ERL NOAA,
GLERL-31 GLERL Aug. 1980
D. Connecting Channels Component
1. Water Year 1980-Detroit River
(6 page rept.)
2. Water quality assessment of the
Thames River mouth, Lake St.
Clair, 1975.
3. Great Lakes water quality data
summary, Detroit River 1976
^. Great Lakes water quality data
summary, St. Clair River 1976
MDNR
3une 1981
Hamdy, Kinkead,
Griffiths,
MOE 3une 1980
MOE
MOE
June 1980
3une 1980
-128-
-------
5. St. Clair River organics study,
waste dispersion
6. St. Clair River organics study.
The detection of mutagenic
activity; screening of twenty-
three compounds of industrial
origin
7. St. Clair River organics study.
Biological surveys 1968 and
1977
Hamdy and
Kinkead, MOE June 1980
Rokosh and
Lovasz, MOE
MOE
June 1980
June 1980
E. Nearshore Intensive Surveillance Component
Investigation of water quality
in the Leamington area of
western lake Erie, 1973-1976
Recent changes in the phyto-
plankton of Lakes Erie and
Ontario
Phytoplankton studies in the
Nanticoke area of Lake Erie,
1969-1978
Water movements in the Nanticoke
region of Lake Erie, 1976.
Ibid., 1978
Nanticoke Water Chemistry 1975,
Ibid. 1976
Nanticoke Aquatic Environment,
1967-1974
Declines in the nearshore phyto-
plankton of Lake Erie's western
basin since 1971
An assessment of water quality
conditions Wheatley Harbour,
Lake Erie 1979
An assessment of the bottom fauna
and sediments of the western basin
of Lake Erie, 1979
Hamdy and
Kinkead
MOE
Nicholls,
MOE
Hopkins and
Lea,
MOE
Kohli,
MOE
Polak, MOE
Palmer and
Polak, OMOE
Nicholls,
et al.
MOE
Hamdy and
Ross,
MOE
MOE
June 1980
June 1980
June 1980
June 1980
June 1980
June 1980
June 1980
Sept. 1980
May:1981
-129-
-------
10. Biological status in nearshore
zone of the south shore of Lake
Erie between Vermilion and
Ashtabula, Ohio: Preliminary
Report
11. Water quality and some aspects of
chemical limnology in the near-
shore zone of the south shore of
Lake Erie between Vermilion and
Ashtabula, Ohio: preliminary
report
12. Limnological surveillance of the
nearshore zone of Lake Erie in
central and eastern Ohio. Pre-
liminary report. Part I:
Chemical Limnology
13. Chemical limnology in the near-
shore zone of Lake Erie between
Vermilion, Ohio and Ashtabula,
Ohio, 197S-1979: Data Summary and
Preliminary Interpretations and
Appendices
14. Historical trends in water
chemistry in the U.S. Nearshore
Zone, central basin, Lake Erie
15. Data Compatability Analyses -
Lake Erie International
Surveillance Plan
16. Environmental status of the
southern nearshore zone of the
central basin of Lake Erie in
1978 and 1979 as indicated by the
benthic macroinvertebrates
17. The crustacean zooplankton of the
southern nearshore zone of the
central basin of Lake Erie in 1978
and 1979: Indications of trophic
status
18. Composition and abundance of
phytoplankton of the central
basin of Lake Erie during 1978-
1979. Lake Erie Nearshore study
Krieger et al.
Heidelberg
College Feb. "1-979
Richards,
Heidelberg
College
Richards,
Heidelberg
College
Feb. 1979
Jan. 1980
Richards,
Heidelberg
College
Richards,
Heidelberg
College-TAT
Richards,
Heidelberg
College-TAT
Feb.1981
Nov. 1981
Nov. 1981
Krieger,
Heidelberg
College June 1981
Krieger,
Heidelberg
College
Kline,
Heidelberg
College
3une 1981
Oct. 1981
-------
19. Bacterial water quality of the
southern nearshore zone of Lake
Erie in 1978 and 1979
20. A preliminary summary of the
1978 nearshore monitoring program
for eastern Lake Erie
21. Lake Erie nearshore monitoring
program, Conneaut, Ohio to
Buffalo, New York, Part I, 1978
22. Cruise means data for 1978 and
1979 nearshore monitoring program
for eastern Lake Erie (computer
print-out)
23. Western Lake Erie nearshore
intensive study 1978-1979:
Microbiology
2*t. Western Lake Erie nearshore
intensive study 1978-1979:
Nearshore water quality problem
areas
Stanford,
Heidelberg
College Sept. J 981
SUNY-Buffalo March 1979
SUNY-Buffalo April 1981
SUNY-Buffalo Nov. 1981
Diamond et al.
OSU-CLEAR Dec. 1980
Herdendorf Dec. 1980
and Fay,
OSU-CLEAR
F. Water Intake Component
1. Water intake monitoring data
collected during 1978-1979 by
the Erie County (Pa.) Dept.
of Health (WQN Sta. 601)
Wellington,
ECDH Dec. 1980
G. Beach Monitoring Component
1. Comprehensive summer beach sur-
veillance data collected by the
Erie County (Pa.) Dept. of Health
Wellington,
ECDH Dec. 1980
H. Cladophora Component
1. Cladopohora monitoring - central
and eastern basins
Millner et al. _
SUNY-Buffalo Dec. 1979
-------
Main Lake Component
2.
Workshop on the analysis and
reporting of Erie 79 and Erie
80 experiments (Stage 1)
Report on summer phosphorus
and oxygen for Lake Erie -
1970, 1977 and 1978
Boyce,
CCIW
Rosa,
CCIW
Nov. 1980
April 1979
3. Fish Contaminants Component
1. Organic chemical residues in
Region V watersheds (data rept.)
Veith and
Kuehl, USEPA/
Duluth ERL 3une 1980
Organochlorine contaminant
concentrations and uptake rates
in fishes in Lake Erie tributary
mouths (abst. and data summary)
Laboratory report. Residues of
polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins
and dibenzofuransin Great Lakes
fish
Trends in the mercury content of
western Lake Erie fish and
sediment, 1970-1977
Herdendorf,
Barnes, Burby,
OSU-TAT Dec. 1980
Stallings,
et al.,
USF & WS
Kinkead
and Hamdy,
OMOE
July 1981
3une 1980
K. Wildlife Contaminants Component
No reports to TAT
L. Radioactivity Component
1. 1977-1979 environmental radio-
logical monitoring for the Davis-
Besse Nuclear Power Station at
Locust Point and Lake Erie
Toledo
Edison Co.
Aug.1980
-------
APPENDIX C
REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE LAKE ERIE TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT TEAM
AS SOURCE DOCUMENTS FOR THE MANAGEMENT REPORT-
THE LAKE ERIE INTENSIVE STUDY
Armstrong, D.E. 1978. Availability of pollutants associated with suspended or settled
river sediments which gain access to the Great Lakes. USEPA Res. Contract
No. 68-01-4479, Univ. of Wisc.-Madison, Water Chemistry Program. 20 p.
Barton, D.R. 1981. A survey of benthic macroinvertebrates near the mouth of the
Grand River, Ontario, 1981, Contract P.O. No. A 71587, Ontario Ministry of the
Environment, Water Resources Branch, Toronto. 24 p.
Boyce, P.M. 1980. Erie, 1980 physical experiments in the central basin proposal and
experiment plan. National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland
Waters, Burlington, Ontario. 51 p.
Boyce, P.M. 1980. Workshop on the analysis and reporting of Erie 79 and Erie 80
experiments (Stage 1). Workshop memorandum, NWRI, CCIW, Burlington,
Ontario. 4 p.
Charlton, M.N. 1979. Hypolimnetic oxygen depletion in central Lake Erie: has there
been any change? Scientific Series No. 110. National Water Research Institute,
Canada Centre for Inland Waters. 24 p.
Charlton, M.N. 1981. Support material for workshop on Lake Erie oxygen depletion.
National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington,
Ontario. 32 p.
Chen, K. 1982. The optimal total phosphorus loading into Lake Erie. Ohio State
University, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Columbus, Ohio. 40 p.
Click, D.E. and 3.E. Biesecker. 1979. Water resources data for Ohio, vol. 2, St.
Lawrence River basin, USGS water data report OH-78-2, water year 1978.
Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbus, Ohio. 202 p.
Cooper, C.L. 1978. Lake Erie nearshore water quality data, 1928-1978. Ohio State
University, Center for Lake Erie Area Research Tech. Rept. No. 80, Columbus,
Ohio. 207 p.
Cooper, C.L. 1979. Water quality of the nearshore zone of Lake Erie: a historical
analysis and delineation of nearshore characteristics of the United States waters.
Ohio State University, Center for Lake Erie Area Research, Columbus, Ohio.
170 p. -
Culver, D.A. 1978. Zooplankton, phytoplankton, and bacteria as indicators of water
quality in the nearshore zone of Lake Erie: a prospectus. Ohio State University,
Center for Lake Erie Area Reearch Tech. Rept. No. 112, Columbus, Ohio. 15 p.
-------
Cummings, T.R. and 3.E. Biesecker. 1979. Water resources data for Michigan, USGS
water-data report Ml-78-1, water year 1978. Water Resources Division, U.S.
Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan. 451 p.
Data Interpretation and Management Work Group. 1979. Data management and
interpretation component of the Lake Erie international surveillance plan.
Prepared for the Surveillance Subcommittee, Great Lakes Water Quality Board,
I3C, for use by the Lake Erie Work Group. 27 p.
Davis, D.E. 1982. An analysis of previous pesticide concentrations and transport in
the Maumee River and its tributaries. Ohio State University, Center for Lake
Erie Area Research, Columbus, Ohio. 36 p.
DeWitt, B.H. et al. 1980. Summary of Great Lakes weather and ice conditions winter
1978-79. NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL GLERL-31. 123 p.
Erie County Health Dept. 1980. Erie County, Pennsylvania Lake Erie basin water
quality, annual report, 1978-79. Division of Water Quality and Land Protection,
Erie County Health Dept., Erie, Pa. 61 p.
ETA Committee, Science Advisory Board. 1980. Biological availability of phosphorus.
Draft report of the Expert Committee on Engineering and Technological Aspects
of Great Lakes Water Quality to the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board, DC.
27 p.
Fay, L.A. 1981. Lake Erie intensive study, 1978-1979: U.S. nearshore, western basin
final report. Ohio State University CLEAR Tech. Rept. No. 204, Columbus,
Ohio.
Fay, L.A. 1982. Final report of 1981 main lake water quality conditions for Lake
Erie. Ohio State University, Center for Lake Erie Area Research Tech. Rept.
No. 254-F, Columbus, Ohio.
Ferguson, H.L. and V.V. Adamkus. 1982. Water quality board 1982 annual report
draft. International 3oint Commission, Great Lakes Water Quality Board,
Ottawa and Washington D.C. 206 p.
Fraser, A.S. and K.E. Wilson. 1981. Loading estimates to Lake Erie, 1967-1976,
Scientific Series No. 120. National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for
Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario. 23 p.
Fraser, A.S. and K.E. Wilson. 1981. Loading estimates to Lake Erie (1967-1976).
National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington,
Ontario. 44 p.
Frederick, V.R. 1981. Lake Erie nearshore monitoring program Conneaut, Ohio to
Buffalo, New York, Part I: 1978. Great Lakes Laboratory, State University of
New York College, Buffalo, New York. 286 p.
Frederick, V.R., 3.3. Kubiak and P.3. Letki. 1979. A preliminary summary of the 1978
nearshore monitoring program for eastern Lake Erie. Great Lakes Laboratory,
State University College, Buffalo, New York. 68 p.
-134-
-------
Great Lakes Water Quality Board. 1981. 1981 Report on Great Lakes water quality,
appendices. Great Lakes Water Quality Board. 157 p.
Gregor, D.3. and E.D. Ongley. 1978. Analysis of nearshore water quality data in the
Canadian Great Lakes, 1967-1973, Part I. Dept. of Geography, Queen's
University, Kingston, Ontario. 270 p.
Hamdy, Y.S. 1982. Grand River water quality report - Draft Final Report. Great
- Lakes Surveys Unit, Water Resources Branch, Ontario Ministry of the
Environment, Toronto. 45 p.
Hamdy, Y.S., 3.D. Kinkead and M. Griffiths. 1977. Water quality assessment of the
Thames River mouth, Lake St. Clair, 1975. Water Resources Branch, Ontario
Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 30 p.
Hamdy, Y.S. and 3.D. Kinkead. 1978. Investigation of water quality in the
Leamington area of western Lake Erie, 1973-1976. Great Lakes Surveys Unit,
Water Resources Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 23 p.
Hamdy, Y. and D.I. Ross. 1980. An assessment of water quality conditions Wheatley
Harbour, Lake Erie, 1979. Great Lakes Surveys Unit, Water Resources Branch,
Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 25 p.
Hartig, 3.H. 1980. Highlights of water quality and pollution control in Michigan.
Michigan Dept. of Nat. Res. Publ. No. 4833-9804. 28 p.
Heathcote, I.W. 1979. Nanticoke water chemistry, 1978. Water Resources Branch,
Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 33 p.
Heidtke, T., D.3. Scheflow and W.C. Sonzogni. 1980. Detergent phosphorus control:
some Great Lakes perspectives. Great Lakes Environmental Planning Study,
Contribution No. 23. 21 p.
Herdendorf, C.E. 1978. Lake Erie nearshore surveillance station plan for the United
States. Ohio State University, Center for Lake Erie Area Research, Columbus,
Ohio. 51 p.
Hopkins, G.3. and C. Lea. 1979. Phytoplankton studies in the Nanticoke area of Lake
Erie 1969-1978. Water Resources Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment,
Toronto. 19 p.
King, 3.E., 3.E. Richards, R. Allerton and R.H. Wendt. 1982. Phosphorus removal in
Ohio wastewater treatment plants within the Lake Erie basin. Manuscript
prepared for Ohio 3ournal of Science. 13 p.
Kinkead, 3.D. and Y. Hamdy. 1976. Report on a bacteriological survey along the
Ontario shoreline of the Detroit River, 1975. Great Lakes Survey Unit, Water
Resources Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 14 p.
Kinkead, 3.D. and Y. Hamdy. 1978. Trends in the mercury content oF~western Lake
Erie fish and sediment, 1970-1977. Great Lakes Surveys Unit, Water Resources
Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Toronto. 19 p.
-135-
-------
Kline, P.A. 1981. Composition and abundance of phytoplankton from the nearshore
zone of the central basin of Lake Erie during the 1978-79 Lake Erie nearshore
study. Heidelberg College, Water Quality Laboratory, Tiffin, Ohio. 65 p.
Kohli, B. 1978. Water movements in the Nanticoke region of Lake Erie,~J976. Water
Resources Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 29 p.
Kohli, B. 1979. Nanticoke water movements, 1977. Water Resources Branch, Ontario
Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 29 p.
Kohli, B. 1979. Nanticoke water movements, 1978. Water Resources Branch, Ontario
Ministry of the Environment, Toronto. 19 p.
Kreiger, K.A. 1980. Limnological surveillance of the nearshore zone of Lake Erie in
central and eastern Ohio, preliminary report part III: zooplankton. Heidelberg
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