6286
vvEPA
Clean Lakes Program
1987 Annual Report
-*-'^^ :S3*r>r«
"F?" " ^^ff^
-------
**
-------
Clean Lakes Program
1987 Annual Report
Office of Water Regulations and Standards
Office of Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
-------
Prepared by the North American Lake Management Society under Coopera-
tive Agreement No. CX 814969-01-0 for the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. Project officer: Frank Lapensee, Criteria & Standards Division,
Nonpoint Sources Branch, Washington, DC 20460. Publication does not
signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the En-
vironmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or com-
mercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
EPA Regional Clean Lakes coordinators contributed the information for this Clean Lakes Program Annual
Report. Tom Davenport of Region V compiled the report, which was reviewed by Frank Lapensee,
head of the Clean Lakes Program, Carl Myers, chief of the Nonpoint Sources Branch, and
Headquarters staff members Terri Hollingsworth and Susan Ratcliffe. Lura K. Taggart
of the NALMS office designed and produced the report.
-------
Contents
Introduction 1
Fiscal Year 1987: New Directions for Water Quality and the Clean Lakes Program . . 3
A Year of Progress 4
Program Implementation 4
Region I 8
Region II 10
Region III 12
Region IV 14
Region V 16
Region VI 18
Region VII 19
Region VIII 21
Region X 22
-------
Introduction
Widespread public support for preserving and
protecting our Nation's lakes gave rise to the Clean
Lakes Program in 1972. Initiated under the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean Lakes
Program set ambitious goals for defining the
causes and extent of pollution problems in the
lakes of each State and for developing and im-
plementing effective techniques to restore and
protect lake resources. The Clean Lakes Program
provided financial assistance to the States to carry
out the provisions and objectives of the Act.
Early EPA grants provided funding for a number
of research and development activities, as well as
for local demonstration projects. As a result, in-lake
monitoring and restoration techniques as well as
watershed best management practices were
developed to meet the needs of lake restoration
planners nationwide. In addition, initial research ac-
tivities provided important baseline data against
which the effectiveness of lake restoration projects
later could be judged.
Promulgation of the Clean Lakes Regulations in
1980 focused the program by establishing a com-
prehensive grant assistance program that included
grants to the States for the preparation of Clas-
sification Surveys, as well as for Phase I diagnos-
tic/feasibility studies and Phase II implementation
projects. The purpose of the State lake classifica-
tion survey was to identify and classify the publicly-
owned lakes within each State according to trophic
conditions. This activity set the stage for the award
of Phase I grants by defining a universe of potential
lake water quality projects in each State and by
serving to assist in prioritizing lakes for potential
funding assistance.
Phase I studies were intended to determine the
causes and extent of pollution in particular lakes of
each State, to evaluate possible pollution control
mechanisms for them, and to recommend the most
feasible and cost-effective methods for restoring
and protecting lake water quality. Up to 70 percent
of the total cost of the project could be awarded by
the Federal government, with a maximum of
$100,000 awarded to any one study.
The award of Phase II Federal assistance grants
translated Phase I lake restoration and protection
recommendations into action. Funds provided for
Phase II projects were intended for actual im-
plementation of in-lake restoration practices and
best management practices (BMP's) in the lake's
watershed. Phase II projects required at least a 50
percent non-Federal match. Since 1976, EPA has
funded over 350 projects at $102 million.
With the passage of the Water Quality Act of
1987, new directions for the Clean Lakes Program
were established within the broader context of
State water quality management. The next section
of this report discusses these new directions and
program activities in 1987. The remainder of the
report provides region-by-region status.
-------
Fiscal Year 1987: New Directions for Water
Quality and the Clean Lakes Program
The Water Quality Act of 1987 (WQA) offers a spe-
cial opportunity for regulatory agencies, the regu-
lated community, and the public to implement the
ambitious new initiatives in concert with ongoing
core Clean Water Act (CWA) programs. States
have been actively involved in water quality
management planning since before the 1972 CWA,
and, under the amendments, need to address im-
portant new responsibilities in the areas of surface
water toxics, nonpoint source pollution, clean
lakes, and estuaries. In addition, wetlands and
groundwater represent very important resources
that merit protective efforts. The U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency (EPA) is actively encouraging
States to meet the goals and requirements of the
WQA to the fullest extent possible, and to do so in
an open, consultative framework using the latest
techniques of problem assessment and manage-
ment. This framework is generally referred to as the
State Clean Water Strategy Process.
As each State addresses its ongoing and new
responsibilities, it has the opportunity to integrate
its Clean Lakes Program into its overall water
quality management efforts. The Clean Lakes
Program is particularly conducive to a highly in-
tegrated and unified approach to water restoration
and protection by the States. The natural linkages
between Clean Lakes management activities and
other environmental programs, is the flexibility af-
forded both EPA and the States by Section 314;
Section 314 and the cross-program and cross-
agency relationships, established just recently,
combine to encourage an integrated approach.
Specifically, Section 315 of the Water Quality Act
of 1987 reauthorized the Clean Lakes Program and
mandated a number of new initiatives and require-
ments. First, in order to remain eligible for Clean
Lakes Program grant funds, each State is required
to submit biannually to EPA the following:
Revised Lake Classification Report;
List of lakes not meeting water quality
standards or that will require controls to
maintain standards;
Lake pollution control procedures;
Restoration plan for degraded lakes;
Methods and procedures to mitigate the
harmful effects of acidity in lakes;
Assessment of the status and trends of lake
water quality; and
A list of threatened and impaired lakes.
As required by the Act, the 305(b) Report will be
the mechanism for reporting this information, as
-------
well as for reporting information concerning non-
point sources of pollution and toxics.
Second, under the new Act, EPA is required to
establish a Clean Lakes demonstration program
that will enhance the current scientific database
regarding the causes of lake degradation and the
effectiveness of various lake restoration techni-
ques. This initiative will include a study of the
causes and extent of lake acidification nationwide,
resulting in the development of mitigation techni-
ques for affected lakes. However, no funds were
either requested or provided for this program. As
such, demonstration projects will be incorporated
within the framework of the existing program
guidance and regulations.
Third, EPA was required to develop a lake res-
toration guidance manual and distribute it to the
States. This manual must be revised and updated
every two years. The manual has been completed
by EPA's Office of Research and Development and
published and distributed by the Office of Water;
subsequent updates will be the responsibility of the
Office of Water.
Finally, in accordance with Section 518(e) of the
Water Quality Act of 1987, EPA's administrator is
authorized to treat qualified Indian tribes as States.
Therefore, a special effort will be made to involve
Indian tribes in Clean Lakes Program activities and
initiatives in the future.
A Year of Progress
During fiscal year 1987, the Clean Lakes Program
made significant progress toward meeting the new
goals set forth by the reauthorized Water Quality
Act. In May 1987, EPA convened a Clean Lakes
Work Group that included representatives of the
States, Regional EPA Offices, Indian tribes, a lake
managers' association, and others. From these dis-
cussions evolved the Clean Lakes Program
Guidance document (December 1987) that
describes procedures for complying with the re-
quirements of the new Act. The Guidance stresses
an integrated program approach and development
of a State Clean Water Strategy integrating the
Clean Lakes Program into the States overall water
quality management efforts. As outlined in several
of the success stories in this report, cross
programs and cross agency relationships were es-
tablished providing an integrated Clean Water
Strategy approach.
EPA funded several projects that will expand the
base of scientific knowledge in lake restora-
tion/protection methodology for subsequent up-
dates to the Lake Restoration and Reservoir
Guidance Manual. Projects included funds to con-
duct a National Conference on State Lake Manage-
ment Programs, remote sensing studies of
nonpoint source impact on lakes, production of the
Monitoring Section of the Technical Supplement to
the Lake & Reservoir Restoration Guidance
Manual, research on how grass carp reduces
aquatic vegetation in lakes, and further develop-
ment of a computer model (AGNPS) to estimate
nutrient loadings from watersheds to lakes and
wetlands.
Program Implementation
In fiscal year 1987, $4.5 million was appropriated
for the Clean Lakes Program. These funds were al-
located to the EPA Regions based upon two fac-
tors: the number of active Clean Lakes projects and
population.
To ensure that projects were designed to attain
program goals, the Regions were given three
specific objectives:
1. Select projects that maximize benefits to the
environment;
2. Select projects that maximize benefits to the
public; and
3. Follow an integrated program approach.
The Regions then selected projects submitted
by the States that met these objectives. Forty-nine
applicants qualified: 32 Phase I diagnos-
tic/feasibility studies totalling $2,220,716, and 17
Phase II projects totalling $2,477,284. Figures 1
and 2 show the distribution of funds and projects
by Region. Figure 3 shows the distribution of the
Clean Lakes restoration activities funded for 1987.
Figure 4 shows the States which received Clean
Lakes grants in 1987.
-------
Clean Lakes 1987 Funding
7.0%
7.1%
6.9%
8.9%
23.4%
Figure 1.
16.3%
10.5%
11.8%
8.1%
Clean Lakes 1987 Projects
Phase I
New Phase II
S*%aAmended Phase
0 1
Figure 2.
23456
Projects
8
10
-------
FY 87 Restoration Activities
Region
1
II
V
VII
VIII
X
Lake/State
Threemile, ME
Hills, MA
Sluice/Flax, MA
Hopatcong, NJ
Saratoga, NY
Van Cortlandt Park, NY
Nockamixon, PA
Wallenpaupack, PA
Como, MN
Big Stone, MN
Clear, MN
Medicine, MN
Springfield, ll_
Delevan, Wl
Blackhawk, IO
Deer Creek, VT
Devil's, OR
Watershed Management
_^
re
3
ii
0> 2
< ca
E
re c
0) 0
Shore /Str
Stabilizati
* *-
_ c
_ c
05 0)
11
._ 0)
-------
MASS.
£~ J~^< Virgin
Puerto Rico is|ands
Figure 4. States receiving FY 87 Clean Lakes grants indicated by shaded area.
-------
Region I
During fiscal year 1987, Region 1 received nine
Clean Lakes applications. Two applications were
rejected at the regional level because they did not
meet the regional guidance criteria established for
all projects requesting fiscal 1987 Clean Lakes
funds.
The Region requested and received approval to
award seven Clean Lakes grants for the following
projects:
Lake
Threemile Pond, ME
Long Lake, ME
Sluice, Flax and Floating
Bridge Ponds, MA
Hills Pond, MA
Mendums Pond, NH
Webster Lake, NH
Olney Pond, Rl
TOTAL
Grant
$130,000
$68,836
$170,356
$70,050
$99,971
$99,787
$100,000
$734,000
Type of Project
Restoration/Protection
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
Restoration/Protection
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
The Region now has 17 active projects.
Success Story: Lake
Morey
An example of a successful lake restoration
program in Region I is Lake Morey, a 218.62-hec-
tare lake in Fairlee, VT. The lake, an important
recreational site, had a long-standing problem of
excessive algae growth that often severely inter-
fered with recreational use of the lake. At times,
blooms of blue-green algae and other algal types
formed extensive scum on the surface of the lake.
In 1985, collapsing algal bloom caused a major fish
kill involving yellow perch.
Early studies indicated that phosphorus leach-
ing into the lake from failing shoreline septic tanks
caused Lake Morey's eutrophication problem.
However, subsequent modeling analyses indicated
that internal phosphorus loading from lake sedi-
ments might be a significant contributor. Uncertain-
ty over the cause of the excessive phosphorus
levels led to a Phase I Diagnostic/Feasibility study
on Lake Morey by the State of Vermont.
Central to the study, which was completed in
1984, was an extensive sampling program that
directly measured phosphorus inputs to the lake
Sluice, Rax
and Roating
Bridge Ponds
Phase I projects
A Phase II projects
Figure 5. Region I FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
from tributary streams, groundwater (including
septic systems), and precipitation. In addition, in-
ternal phosphorus loading was evaluated through
detailed mass balance calculations.
The results clearly indicated that internal phos-
phorus loading from anoxic hypolimnetic lake sedi-
ments was the main cause of the elevated
phosphorus levels in the lake. Paleolimnological
analysis of a dated sediment core from the lake
suggested how the problem might have started.
Evidence preserved in the core indicated that from
1880-1920, when most of the lakeshore develop-
ment took place, soil erosion and sewage dischar-
ges may have contributed a massive load of
-------
phosphorus to the lake that had been recycled in-
ternally ever since.
Feasibility studies for restoring Lake Morey
focused on techniques to break the cycle of inter-
nal phosphorus loading. Treatment of the hypolim-
netic sediments with alum and sodium aluminate
was chosen as the preferred restoration method
because it provided the best opportunity to control
the problem over the long term.
A Phase II lake restoration project began on
Lake Morey in 1986 by treating the entire 133.8-ha
sediment area with 175,000 gallons of liquid alum
and sodium aluminate at a cost of $177,000. The
chemicals were injected during a 19-day period in
May-June 1986 at a depth of 8 meters from a barge
equipped with chemical storage tanks, adjustable
booms, and a spray manifold.
The two-year post-treatment monitoring
program showed a dramatic improvement in the
lake's water quality. Total phosphorus concentra-
tions in surface waters remained below 10 mil-
ligrams per liter (mg/L) during most of 1986 and
1987, compared with previous levels averaging 20-
40 mg/L. During the summers of 1986 and 1987,
hypolimnetic phosphorus concentrations were
below 50 mg/L, down sharply from pre-treatment
levels of 200-500 mg/L. The spring 1987 level was
only 9 mg/L, compared with average annual spring
phosphorus levels of 37 mg/L before treatment.
Algae levels and water clarity also improved
after treatment. Average chlorophyll concentrations
during the summer of 1986 were the lowest in nine
years, and no significant algal blooms have oc-
curred since treatment. Water clarity reached all-
time highs during 1987.
Aluminum levels in the lake, while somewhat
elevated immediately after treatment, soon
returned to pre-treatment levels. No deaths of fish
or other aquatic life were observed following ex-
posure, although a decline in the condition of yel-
low perch was observed. Fisheries data are
currently being examined to determine whether
temporary aluminum exposure caused the decline.
-------
Region II
During fiscal year 1987, the State of New York sub-
mitted two applications and the State of New Jer-
sey submitted one application. All three
applications were for amendments to Phase II
projects.
Lake
Lake Hopatoong, NJ
Saratoga Lake, NY
Van Cortlandt Park
Lake, NY
Grant Type of Project
$265,000 Restoration/Protection
$154,241 Restoration/Protection
$52,759 Restoration/Protection
TOTAL
$472,000
The grants for New Jersey's Lake Hopatcong
and New York's Saratoga Lake, multi-year projects
that involve weed harvesting and watershed
management, complete Federal funding for those
projects. The grant for New York's Van Cortlandt
Park Lake $7 million project includes stormwater
diversion, dredging, and upstream detention
basins. Locations of these projects within the
Region are shown in Figure 6. Fourteen projects
are now active in Region II.
Lake Hopatcong
Phase I projects
A Phase II projects
Figure 6. Region IIFY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
Success Story: Iroquois
Lake and Duck Pond
Iroquois Lake and the Duck Pond are shallow,
urban bodies of water located in Central Park,
Schenectady, NY. The lake provides the means for
several water-related activities, such as boating,
fishing, and swimming in the summer months; and
ice-skating and ice-hockey in the winter. Surround-
ing the lake are many walkways, grassy areas and
picnic tables which allow for a variety of recreation-
al activities around the lake.
Historically, recreational uses of the lake had
been impaired by a deterioration of the lake water
quality. Macrophyte growth was extensive
throughout the summer due to organic and
nutrient-rich sediments. The sediments also stimu-
lated the overgrowth of plankton and algae in the
summer. Odors, as a result of the seasonal die-off
of aquatic plants, and repeated winter fish kills also
diminished the aesthetics of the lake and impaired
its use.
A Phase I diagnostic/feasibility study indicated
that urban stormwater runoff was the primary
source of nutrients to the lake and pond. As a result
of this study, the Phase II restoration project in-
cluded the following:
1. Drawdown and excavation of nutrient-rich
sediments from the lake and pond;
2. Bottom sealing of the lake and pond with
clay-soil liner to prevent excess exfiltration of
water;
3. Development of a stormwater retention area
for control of watershed drainage to the lake/pond
system;
4. Installation of a seepage pit to control street
runoff to the lake;
5. Rehabilitation of the Iroquois Lake Fountain
to recirculate lake water, and make operable by
direct water line connection to the City Water Supp-
ly, to enable periodic dilution and flushing of the
lake.
Post-restoration monitoring began in January
1986. The results of the sampling indicated the level
of success of the restoration project. Total phos-
phorus, Kjeldahl nitrogen, suspended solids, and
chlorophyll a concentrations were reduced as a
10
-------
result of the project. Total phosphorus concentra-
tions of Iroquois Lake fell 63.4 percent; Kjeldahl
nitrogen concentrations fell 54.4 percent;
suspended solids dropped 59.6 percent; and
chlorophyll a concentrations were 27.4 percent
below pre-restoration levels. Similar patterns were
noted in Duck Pond.
Dissolved oxygen measurements indicated that
oxygen levels were at or near saturation values
throughout the 11 -month monitoring period in both
surface and bottom waters; at no time was there
any indication of a return to the depleted oxygen
conditions of the past. Measurements also indi-
cated the absence of significant photosynthetic ac-
tivities. As a result, no fish kills or algal blooms have
occurred since the restoration.
The project also successfully reduced the den-
sity of macrophyte species. Some macrophytes
have recurred in shallow portions of the lake and
pond which provide a suitable habitat for the new
fish population but have not impaired the recrea-
tional aspects of the lake.
Water quality
Figure 7. Sampling stations for Iroquois Lake and Duck Pond
projects.
11
-------
Region III
During fiscal year 1987, Region III received
$530,400 in allocated funds. Two Phase I studies
were funded: Silver Lake in Dover, DE at a cost of
$21,000 and Big Cherry Reservoir in Big Stone
Gap, VA at a cost of $30,000. Two Pennsylvania
restoration efforts received Phase II funding of
$239,000 each: Lake Wallenpaupack in Paupack,
and Lake Nockamixon in Quakertown. The partial
funding will permit implementation of the highest-
priority restoration methods, which are mostly
agricultural best management practices. Four
projects are active in Region III.
Lake
Grant Type of Project
Silver Lake, DE $21,000
Big Cherry Reservoir, VA $30,000
Lake Nockamixon, PA $239,700
Lake Wallenpaupack, PA $239,700
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
Restoration/Protection
TOTAL
$530,400
Lake Nockamixon
Silver Lake-Dover
Big Cherry
Reservoir
Phase I projects
A Phase II projects
Figure 8. Region III FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
Success Story: South
Fork Rivanna Reservoir
The South Fork Rivanna Reservoir is located in the
Upper James River Basin near Charlottesville, VA in
Albemarle County. The reservoir covers 1.58
square kilometers and receives drainage from a
629-square-kilometer watershed. The mean depth
is 4.5 meters and the mean residence time is eight
days.
Algal blooms, fish kills, and problems with taste
and odor commonly occur in this reservoir. A 1977
watershed management study concluded that the
lake was highly eutrophic. Of the land around the
watershed, 61 percent is undeveloped; of the rest,
4 percent is developed, 8 percent is cropland, and
27 percent is pasture land. Nonpoint sources were
found to contribute nearly all of the suspended
solids and 76 percent of the phosphorus load to the
reservoir.
Reports funded through the Section 314 Clean
Lakes and Section 208 programs have recom-
mended the following activities to restore and
manage the reservoir:
1. Implementation of a strict runoff control or-
dinance;
2. Implementation of agricultural, roadway, and
other best management practices;
3. Implementation of streambank erosion con-
trols;
4. Construction of a regional detention basin;
5. Employment of a watershed manager.
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, Al-
bemarle County, and the City of Charlottesville,
together with funding and support from EPA and
the Virginia State Water Control Board, have imple-
mented almost all of these recommendations.
EPA provided an $800,000 Clean Lakes Phase II
grant in 1981, which has helped to finance comple-
tion of 85 percent of the project. Most of the imple-
mented BMPs have been agricultural and represent
about 75 different contracts; the highway BMP
program has been limited by budget restrictions in
the Virginia Highway Department. A watershed
manager has been hired and a runoff control or-
dinance was developed and implemented. The
12
-------
regional detention basin remains under considera- pre-restoration levels. The project is expected to
tion due to rising construction costs. continue for up to four more years, and more
Monitoring of the reservoir is showing positive reductions in algae growth and loadings are ex-
results. Total phosphorus, suspended solids and peeled.
chlorophyll levels are down 10 to 25 percent from
13
-------
Region IV
This southeastern Region encompasses eight
States: Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and
Florida. The Region is managing three active
projects, and this year, funded four Phase I diag-
nostic/feasibility studies.
Lake
Grant Type of Project
Lake Edgar A. Brown, SC $64,048
Wolf Lake, MS $100,000
Moon Lake, MS $100,000
Lake Washington, MS $100,000
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
TOTAL
$364,048
Lake Washington
I
Wolf Lake
Phase I projects
. Phase II projects
Figure 9. Region IV FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
Success Story: Lake
Jackson
Lake Jackson is a 1,619.4-ha solution lake located
near Tallahassee, FL Comprehensive studies of
the water quality of Lake Jackson during 1974 and
1977 led to increased awareness of pollution in the
lake resulting from stormwater drainage. Rapid ur-
banization in the Megginnis Arm watershed (902.8
ha) of the lake resulted in greater drainage with in-
creased nutrient and sediment loads, and sub-
sequently accelerated the eutrophication of both
the watershed and the lake.
As the result of a cooperative effort by EPA
(which provided $1.6 million in Section 314 fund-
ing), the Florida Department of Environmental
Regulation, and the Northwest Florida Water
Management District, a stormwater treatment
facility was built along a natural inflow stream to
Megginnis Arm. This facility, which began operat-
ing in the fall of 1984, incorporates proven and in-
novative techniques to treat the stormwater
drainage that enters the watershed.
Stormwater drainage enters a 163,000 cubic
meter detention pond (Fig. 10), and passes
through a 1.8-ha intermittent underdrain filter that
removes solids and nutrients. Immediately
downstream, the flow is diverted into a 2.5-ha
marsh, which has an average depth 0.5 meters, ex-
cept for a 2.5-meter deep settling basin near the
outfall. The marsh impoundment is divided into
three cells, each of which contains a different kind
of macrophyte.
Megginnis Arm Lake
\
Megginnis Creek
-Lakeshore Drive
Dikes
Artificial
marsh
Stoplog weir
Heavy sediment
collection basin
Intermittent filte
U
Megginnis Creek
Lake Jackson Project
Cedars Executive Center
Tallahassee
Mall
Figure 10. Location of detention pond.
14
-------
Based on three years of post-project water the remaining load. All other loading parameters
quality monitoring by Florida State University's show reductions ranging from 37 to 90 percent
Department of Oceanography, the impound- under normal operating conditions.
ment/filter bed can remove 91 to 98 percent of the In 1987, the project was named the Outstanding
suspended solid load from the stormwater Restoration Project of the year by the North
drainage while the marsh removes 75 percent of American Lake Management Society (NALMS).
15
-------
Region V
In April 1987, Region V issued fiscal year 1987
Funding Guidance for the Clean Lakes Program.
This Regional Guidance was based on the National
Guidance, and Regional priorities.
In response to this guidance, over 50 potential
projects were identified. Five States submitted ap-
plications for a total of 17 projects for possible
Clean Lakes funding, of which 16 received ap-
proval. Of the approved projects, 10 were Phase I
studies and six were Phase II restoration projects
(see Fig. 11).
| MINNESOTA
Lake Sallie
, and Detroit Lakes
Sauk River Chain!
(. '» C WISCONSIN
(I ^CrMedicine Lake
V^Janners Lake
' Lake Como Delavan Lake
:iearLake \MICHIGAN
Lake Grant
Chicago Park Lagoon, IL $50,000
Type of Project
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Big
Stone
Lake
Upper and
Lower Prior)
Lakes /^Chicago Park
Lake Ripley f Lagoons I
Big Kandiyohi Lake ( I
LakePittsfieJd* Lake Springfield
.^ILLINOIS)
INDIANA
Marble-Coldwater Chain
Phase I Projects
* Phase II Projects
Figure 11. Region V FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
In addition to the 16 grant actions mentioned
above, the Region continued to manage 35 active
projects. The Region conducted field reviews of 20
active and new projects as well as three potential
projects during fiscal year 1987.
To ensure efficient and effective management of
its Clean Lakes projects, the Region developed a
data management system to facilitate the tracking
of projects and to assist in responding to inquiries
concerning the Clean Lakes Program and water
quality problems. Regional personnel also par-
ticipated in the Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin Annual
State Lake Association Meetings, and cosponsored
and participated in the first Regional NALMS meet-
ing in Columbus, OH.
Coldwater-Marble
Chain, Ml
Lake Ripley, MN
Lake Pittsfield, IL
Tanner's Lake, MN
Indian Lake, OH
Lake Sallie & Detroit
Lakes, MN
Lake Springfield, IL
Clear Lake, MN
Medicine Lake, MN
Delavan Lake, Wl
Upper & Lower Prior
Lakes, MN
Big Kandiyohi Lake, MN
Como Lake, MN
Sauk River Chain, MN
Big Stone Lake, MN
TOTAL
$25,000
$28,283
$23,166
$39,556
$50,000
$41 ,239
$219,708
$70,039
$135,268
$153,449
$36,017
$19,588
$76,078
$33,725
$51,473
$1 ,052,589
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
Restoration/Protection
Restoration/Protection
Restoration/Protection
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
Success Story: Lake
Le-Aqua-Na
Lake Le-Aqua-Na, located in Lake Le-Aqua-Na
State Park in Stephenson County, IL, was formed in
1956 by the damming of Waddams Creek. Of the
lake's 951.4-ha watershed, 31 percent is owned by
the State; the rest is in small private holdings, most
of which are agricultural.
The lake and surrounding State park are
managed by the Illinois Department of Conserva-
tion (IDOC) for a wide variety of recreational uses,
including fishing, boating, canoeing, camping, pic-
nicking, hiking, water sports, and swimming. Park
attendance peaked at 530,000 in 1976; by 1981, at-
tendance had declined by approximately 43.4 per-
cent. This decline seemed partially related to the
lake's deteriorating water quality.
A 1981-83 Phase I study identified the following
major problems in the lake:
1. High nutrient levels;
2. Nuisance algal blooms;
3. Excessive aquatic macrophytes;
16
-------
4. Dissolved oxygen depletion;
5. Turbidity and sedimentation.
Since most of the lake's problems stemmed
from excessive nutrient and sediment loading from
the watershed, the State decided not to pursue
Phase II funding until watershed controls were im-
plemented.
Using the results of the Phase I study as the key
component of a public awareness and information
program, the local Soil Conservation Service, Soil
and Water Conservation District, and Cooperative
Extension Service developed interest in the project
among watershed landowners. The Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS)
County Committee determined that there was suffi-
cient landowner interest to propose a special na-
tional conservation tillage land treatment project
within the watershed. The objective of the project
was to cut cropland soil erosion by 42 percent,
using a variable cost-share rate as an incentive.
Within six months, all landowners in the project
area had signed either "no-till" or reduced tillage
contracts for 1984. Consequently, soil erosion fell
46 percent, and sediment yield to the lake fell 31
percent.
The successful implementation of the special
conservation tillage project helped the State obtain
a Phase II grant. The grant helped finance installa-
tion of a lake destratification system, harvesting of
aquatic macrophytes, algal control, lake shoreline
stabilization, lake monitoring, and installation of
resource management systems designed to con-
trol priority nonpoint source areas within the water-
shed.
Additional ASCS and supplemental Phase II
funding financed completion of the watershed work
and supported another year of lake water quality
monitoring. After implementation of all watershed
management activities, soil losses were down 69
percent and sediment yields had fallen 57 percent
from pre-restoration levels. Continued monitoring
of dissolved oxygen data and visual examination in-
dicates that in-lake water quality is continuing to
improve.
17
-------
Region VI
During fiscal year 1987, Clean Lakes Program fund-
ing for Region VI totaled $400,000. All of the
projects were Phase I diagnostic/feasibility studies;
each received $100,000 of funding. Two of the
projects were located in Oklahoma, the other two
in Texas.
Lake Ellsworth
Cherokees
ARK.
LA.
NEW MEXICO
_ ^t^^^^^H^P^
1 "
/OKLA. £
'-^
LakeV
TEXAS
Lake Houston <
Phase I projects
A Phase II projects
Figure 12. Region VI FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
Lake
Lake Houston, TX
Lake Worth, TX
Lake Ellsworth, OK
Grand Lake of the
Cherokees, OK
TOTAL
Grant
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$100,000
$400,000
Type of Project
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
The Region also conducted field reviews of ex-
isting Clean Lakes projects. During fiscal year
1987, the region managed five Phase II projects:
four in Oklahoma and one in Louisiana. Regional
personnel visited the Louisiana project during the
fiscal year. The Region also participated in the
Regional Workshop sponsored by the North
American Lake Management Society in Austin, Tex.
States in the Region also identified several
potential Clean Lakes projects. One is Beaver Lake,
AR, which was identified in Section 315 of the 1987
Water Quality Act as a demonstration project.
However, no commitment for local matching funds
has yet been secured. Other potential projects in-
clude two in Oklahoma, Grand Lake of the
Cherokees and Lake Ellsworth, and two in Texas,
Lake Houston and Lake Worth.
Success Story: Ada City
Lake
Ada City Lake, part of Wintersmith Park in Ada, OK,
is a popular recreational lake among local resi-
dents. But residential development from the mid-
1950s through the early 1970s accelerated the
aging of the 4.7-ha lake, speeding up the growth of
weeds and algae that eventually died, decom-
posed, and settled with the sediments at the bot-
tom of the lake. Construction around the lake also
displaced soil, which ran down into the lake.
Nitrogen fertilizers applied to new lawns ac-
celerated the growth of macrophytes, resulting in
algae and aquatic plants that choked the lake and
its tributaries.
In 1981, the City of Ada established restoration
of the lake as a priority in its budget, and pledged
$80,000 as its share of cleanup costs. The Ok-
lahoma Water Resources Board completed prelimi-
nary studies and secured approval of a restoration
plan for the lake.
In February 1984, dredging to increase the
depth of the lake began, after pipelines and pumps
were installed and pits prepared for storing and
dewatering the thick, black slurry from the lake.
Dredging was completed in June 1985, and water
drained from the sediments was returned to the
lake.
Sampling by State personnel for one year after
completion of the restoration indicates that the
quality of the lake water has improved dramatically.
The now-clear water replaces vast patches of algae
and weeds, and fish stock has been added to the
lake. The success of the Ada City Lake cleanup
process was the subject of an article in the April
1987 edition of Oklahoma Water Quality News.
18
-------
Region VII
During fiscal year 1987, Region VII received a target
allocation of $311,000 for the Clean Lakes Program.
This amount funded three projects in the Region:
two new Phase I studies and extension of an ongo-
ing Phase II project. The two Phase I projects are lo-
cated in Iowa and Missouri; the Phase II is in Iowa.
A Blackhawk Lake
Iowa Lake
Phase I projects
A Phase II projects
Figure 13. Region VII FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
The two Phase I projects, Iowa Lake in IA and
Springfork Lake in MO, are evaluating nonpoint
source controls. The Iowa Lake project includes a
substate agreement with Iowa State University's
Center for Agricultural Resource Development; the
Springfork Lake watershed has been selected for
special State funding for implementing erosion con-
trol measures.
Lake Grant
Spring fork Lake, MO $35,000
Iowa Lake, IA $10,600
Blackhawk Lake, IA $265,400
Type of Project
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
TOTAL
$311,000
The Phase II project, Blackhawk Lake in IA,
probably will be completed for substantially less than
the $1 million estimated cost to the Federal govern-
ment. Watershed nonpoint source controls have
been targeted more directly than was believed pos-
sible to critical areas, and the actual costs of
management practices have been below the original
estimates.
The Region manages nine projects, and Regional
personnel are assisting with preparations for NALMS
Regional Workshop in Denver.
Success Story: Green
Valley Lake
Effective use of best management practices has sub-
stantially improved the water quality of Iowa's Green
Valley Lake since 1980.
Built in 1952 as an impoundment near the head-
waters of the Platte River, the 390-acre Green Valley
Lake began to demonstrate major problems in the
1970's that affected both aquatic life and recreational
use. Sedimentation had reduced the lake area by
about 10 percent, and nutrients in watershed runoff
stimulated excessive algal growth (the blue-green
Aphanizomenon).
The runoff from the 5,198-acre watershed - more
than 72 percent in croplandwas found to be the
source of these water quality problems.
A Clean Lakes grant of $569,100 in 1980 ad-
dressed three goals:
Reduce sediment/nutrient delivery to the lake
to acceptable levels by installing best
management practices on croplands in the
watershed.
Reduce resuspension of nutrients within the
lake bed by deepening shallow water areas.
Monitor chemical, physical, and biological
parameters.
The landowner contracted the construction of the
approved BMP's and was reimbursed for 75 percent
of the cost using 50 percent Federal funds and 25
percent State funds.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources coor-
dinated the project, whose participants included (in
addition to the landowners and EPA Region VII),
U.S. Soil Conservation Service in Des Moines, Iowa
Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship,
Union County Soil Conservation District, Union
County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation
Service, Area Extension Office (Creston), and the
University Hygienic Laboratory (Iowa City).
19
-------
Table 1.- Practices constructed at Green Valley Lake
Watershed 1981-1987.
Number
Practice
Grade Stabilization Structures
Tile Intake Terraces
Diversions
Grassed Waterways
Water Sediment Control Basins
Jobs
3
39
1
6
16
Installed
3
108,068ft.
1,245ft.
9,660 ft.
13,897ft.
Total Cost
Cost
$12,277.43
363,297.14
1,948.00
11,078.82
57,476.50
$446,077.99
Analysis of data from six years of monitoring at
Green Valley Lake revealed significant improve-
ment in the annual means for the following key
water quality parameters:
Total phosphate concentration
systematically declined to nearly one-fourth
of that found in 1981 at the deep water
station and about half at the shallow water
station.
Chlorophyll a was markedly
reduced at both stations to
nearly one-third that recorded in
1981.
Dissolved oxygen fell by nearly
50 percent at both stations.
No summer fish kills attributable
to dissolved oxygen sags have oc-
curred since 1981. Algal blooms
have been noticeably less intense in
recent years, nor has the public
complained of taste and odor problems in fish
during 1985 and 1986. However, water clarity has
declined during the six-year project period,
probably because of the lake's expanding popula-
tion of bottom-feeders, such as bulkhead and carp.
Conservation practices in the watershed has
reduced delivery of sediments to the lake by 5,500
tons annually, reducing loss in lake volume by half,
from approximately 7 acre-feet per year pre-project
to about 3 1/2 acre-feet at this time.
20
-------
Region VIII
During fiscal year 1987, Region VIII received a
$319,893 for its grants. The Region received four
applications for Clean Lakes Program funding, of
which three were approved. The three projects ap-
proved were Bear Creek Reservoir, Pineview
Reservoir, and Deer Creek Reservoir. Deer Creek is
a Phase II project that received $149,493; the other
two are Phase I studies that received $100,000
each. The Region manages eight projects.
Phase I projects
A Phase II projects
Figure 14. Region VIII FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
Lake Grant
Bear Creek Reservoir, $100,000
CO
Pineview Reservoir, UT $100,000
Deer Creek, Reservoir, UT$119,893
Type of Project
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
TOTAL
$319,893
Success Story:
Spiritwood Lake
Spiritwood Lake is a deep natural lake located in
east central North Dakota. The lake, which is ap-
proximately 1 1/2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide,
drains a large land area of 6,032.3 ha, of which
runoff from about 3,846.2 ha goes directly into the
lake.
Approximately 80 percent of the land area
around the watershed is farmed intensively for row
crops and small grains. In the past, much of this
land was tilled following harvest, leaving bare soil
which then washed from the fields during spring
runoff.
Primarily because of nutrient and sediment load-
ing, Spiritwood Lake was subject to severe
eutrophication by the mid-1970s. During the sum-
mer, algal blooms restricted recreational use of the
lake. Under a Section 208 plan, the lake was iden-
tified as one of 10 in the State to be given priority
for nonpoint source controls.
In 1980, the North Dakota State Department of
Health began a two-year diagnostic study to iden-
tify the causes of the lake's eutrophication. The
study concluded that agricultural runoff and inter-
nal loading from sediments were the principal sour-
ces of the nutrients.
Tests performed during the diagnostic study in-
dicated that nitrogen was the chief nutrient for the
algae, but nitrogen control was believed to be dif-
ficult because of its solubility, input from the atmos-
phere, and the presence of algal species capable of
nitrogen fixation. In contrast, the largest portion of
the phosphorus input to the lake came from soil
particles; thus, reducing soil erosion was viewed as
a way to significantly diminish phosphorus loading.
Implementation of agricultural best management
practices to control soil erosion and nutrient runoff
began in 1981 and were essentially completed by
the end of 1983. The principal BMPs implemented
were tree planting, grassed waterways, no-till crop-
ping, protected fallow land, and techniques to com-
bat wind erosion.
Using Clean Lakes Program funds, a pipeline
and pump house to draw water from the lake's
hypolimnion were constructed in 1982.
Monitoring of the project indicated reduced
levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, and algae.
However, the long-term success of the project
depends on the success of agricultural BMPs.
Some of the BMPs employed thus far have proven
inadequate for water quality protection and are
being modified.
21
-------
Region X
During fiscal year 1987, Region X received seven
applications: four for Phase I studies, one for a new
Phase II project, and two amended Phase II
projects. All but the new Phase II and one amended
Phase II project were approved (see Fig. 15). The
Region now manages nine projects.
Lake
Lake Pend Oreille, ID
Mauser, Lake, ID
Winchester Lake, ID
Garrison Lake, OR
Devil's Lake, OR
TOTAL
Grant
$77,000
$52,000
$51,000
$74,900
$61,170
$316,070
Type of Project
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Diagnostic/Feasibility
Restoration/Protection
Lake Pend Oreille
Mauser Lake
Phase I projects
A Phase II projects
Figure 15. Region X FY 87 Clean Lakes project grants.
The State of Idaho responded to the Region's
call for new Clean Lakes applications by submitting
three Phase I proposals in fiscal year 1987, after a
three-year absence from program activity. The
State also has published a lake management
manual, initiated a citizen's monitoring program,
and is overseeing an aerial survey of seven north-
ern Idaho lakes. The survey, which was completed
in January 1988, received a $65,000 grant.
Other accomplishments by Region X include
participation by Regional personnel in the newly-
formed Washington Lakes Protection Association,
negotiation of an interagency work plan for a Con-
gressionally-mandated study of Lake Pend Oreille
and the Clark Fork River System; and, receipt of a
$30,000 research grant to study feeding preferen-
ces of sterile white amur in northwestern habitats.
Success Story: Lake
Ballinger
Lake Ballinger is a 40.5-ha eutrophic lake located
within the City of Mountlake Terrace, just north of
Seattle. In the past, the lake has suffered from ex-
cessive nutrient loading, particularly phosphorus,
which has resulted in algal growth that has reduced
the recreational value and beauty of the lake.
Studies conducted on the lake by the City and
other government agencies since the mid-1970s
concluded that the best way to restore the lake was
to reduce phosphorus loading from both internal
sediment loading and external loading from Hall
Creek, the main inflow to the lake.
A two-part project was undertaken. Part I en-
tailed the restoration of Hall Creek through the es-
tablishment of two sedimentation basins. Part II
involved construction of a hypolimnetic dis-
charge/withdrawal system to facilitate the removal
of phosphorus-rich hypolimnetic waters and en-
hance the dissolved oxygen levels.
Restoring Hall Creek reduced erosion and flood-
ing, and cut the phosphorus and sediment loading
of the lake. Construction of the two sedimentation
ponds resulted in the removal of particulate phos-
phorus and suspended solids. The improvement in
the creek generated an oxidizing environment in
which the ammonia in the creek was converted to
nitrate-nitrogen, and the water had high dissolved
oxygen concentrations.
Hypolimnetic injection and withdrawal
prevented hypolimnetic anoxia and limited internal
loading of phosphorus from lake sediments. The in-
jection and withdrawal system cut internal phos-
phorus loading 86 percent from pre-treatment
levels and contributed greatly to overall water
quality improvement through 1985.
However, phosphorus loading from the creek
basin began to increase dramatically in late 1984,
resulting in a substantial decline in water quality in
1985 and 1986. This deterioration reflected the ef-
fects of accelerated watershed development and
stormwater runoff throughout the Lake Ballinger
basin. It became clear that long-term improve-
ments in the lake's water quality depended upon
successful enhancement of the water quality of the
runoff and Hall Creek.
Although the Clean Lakes project for the lake
ended monitoring and implementation funding sup-
22
-------
port in 1986, the City of Mountlake Terrace con- grassland swales and erosion control. Lake
tinued the effort. In 1986, the City hired a full-time monitoring and stream rehabilitation are continu-
watershed manager to identify and control poten- ing, and a citizen's watch phone number has been
tial and actual sources of nutrient loading to the established to facilitate citizen reporting and
lake. Three ordinances have been passed requiring government response to nutrient loading and toxic
development construction projects to take steps to spills.
reduce nutrient loading through strategies such as
23
-------
Clean Lakes Program Regional Coordinators
REGION I
Warren Howard
John F. Kennedy Federal Bldg.
Boston, MA 02203
(617)565-3541
REGION II
Terry Faber
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
(212) 264-8708
REGION III
Randy Waite
841 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 597-3425
REGION IV
Leonard Nowak
345 Courtland St. NE
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404)347-2126
REGION V
Don Roberts
230 S. Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60604
(312)886-1765
REGION VI
Doug Holy
1445 Ross Avenue
Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202
(214)655-7140
REGION VII
Lynn Kring
726 Minnesota Ave.
Kansas City, KS66101
(913)236-2817
REGION VIII
Tom Braidech
999 18th St.
Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202
(303)293-1572
REGION IX
Wendell Smith
215 Fremont St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415)974-0828
REGION X
Sally Marquis
1200 Sixth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)442-2116
24
------- |